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Updated through 2024NTEE V · Social Science

Social Science nonprofitexecutive pay

Median top-executive pay across 409 social science nonprofits, 2021 – 2024. Each organization is counted once at its most recent filing, using the highest-paid leader reported on IRS Form 990, Schedule J.

Organizations that conduct research and education in the social sciences, including economics, political science, and sociology.

Median executive pay
$120,010
The typical social science nonprofit's highest-paid executive earns $120,010 in total reported compensation.
25th pct
$55k
75th pct
$208k
90th pct
$415k
409 organizations · 2021 – 2024
Percentile distribution

Where the middle 50% lands.

Half earn between $55k and $208k. That band is the interquartile range. The 90th percentile sits at $415k, roughly 3.5 times the median. That upper tail is where the largest organizations cluster.

PercentileTotal compMeans
90th$414,750Top 10% of earners
75th$207,60025% earn more than this
50th · median$120,010The typical executive
25th$55,49925% earn less than this
10th$21,54410% of executives earn less than this
By organization size

Bigger budgets, bigger paychecks.

Median executive pay rises with organization revenue. Each band shows the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of top-executive pay for social science nonprofits in that revenue range.

Revenue band25thMedian75thOrgs
Under $1M$31k$73,129$114k207
$1M – $10M$117k$158,037$248k155
$10M – $100M$316k$466,198$597k41
$100M – $500M$939k$1,045,810$1.3M6
Revenue bands with fewer than 5 organizations are not shown.
Geography

Pay varies by state.

District of Columbia pays $135,415 more than the national median across social science nonprofits.

By role

Benchmark a specific Social Science role

Drill into median pay for individual leadership roles within social science nonprofits.

Directory

Social science research organizations, think tanks, policy institutes, and academic societies. Covers economics, political science, sociology, and interdisciplinary research. There are 733 social science organizations in our database with compensation data from IRS Form 990 filings. Use the table below to browse them, or sort by revenue, location, or number of reported executives.

Organizations in Social Science

733 organizations · Page 4 of 15

Name
City
State
Revenue
Executives
HUNTINGTON YOUTH BUREAU YOUTH DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTEHuntingtonNY$1.9M3
NATIONAL LATINO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONCochiti LakeNM$1.9M2
Center for American Greatness IncPhoenixAZ$1.8M1
DETROIT ECONOMIC CLUBDetroitMI$1.8M1
THE SPHERE INSTITUTEBurlingameCA$1.8M6
SAGAMORE INSTITUTE OF THE ADIRONDACKS INCRaquette LakeNY$1.8M1
CONCERNED AFRICAN WOMEN INCMiamiFL$1.8M1
APPLIED ECONOMICS CLINIC INCBostonMA$1.8M5
CHICAGO PSYCHOANALYTIC INSTITUTEChicagoIL$1.8M5
RESEARCH CENTER FOR CHILDREN YOUTH & FA FAMILIES INCBurlingtonVT$1.8M4
CURIOUS CASES INCSan FranciscoCA$1.7M0
BRAZELTON TOUCHPOINTS PROJECT INC C/O BRAZELTON TOUCHPOINTS CTRBostonMA$1.7M1
HUMAN RELATIONS AREA FILES INCNew HavenCT$1.7M1
NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW INSTITUTEGoldenCO$1.7M3
Abdominal Core Health Quality CollaborativeCentennialCO$1.7M2
CALIFORNIA CHAPTER AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATIONSacramentoCA$1.6M0
ECONOMIC POLICY INNOVATION CENTER INCSpringfieldVA$1.6M2
MIDWEST BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE INCHilliardOH$1.6M2
ASSOCIATION FOR SLAVIC EAST EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN STUDIESPittsburghPA$1.6M2
POTATO VARIETY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE INCEagleID$1.6M0
MATHILE INSTITUTE FOR THEDaytonOH$1.6M0
RADICALXCHANGE FOUNDATION LTDMoragaCA$1.6M4
RHODE ISLAND INSTITUTE FOR LABOR STUDIES AND RESEARCHCranstonRI$1.6M1
Poverty and Race Research Action CouncilWashingtonDC$1.6M4
INSTITUTE FOR AFROURBANISMDetroitMI$1.5M1
LCC International Fund IncLancasterPA$1.5M0
GEORGIA PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATIONAtlantaGA$1.5M2
POLICY MATTERS OHIOClevelandOH$1.5M1
ASSOCIATION FOR CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCEWashingtonDC$1.5M0
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH INCAlbanyNY$1.5M5
SUPERBLOOM DESIGNNew YorkNY$1.4M1
INSTITUTE FOR FINANCIAL MARKETSWashingtonDC$1.4M1
LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT COMMITTEE ON BAR ADMISSIONSMetairieLA$1.4M2
BAY AREA GESTALT INSTITUTESan FranciscoCA$1.4M0
Keystone Research Center IncHarrisburgPA$1.4M2
THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF EVOLUTIONSt LouisMO$1.4M2
COGNITIVE SCIENCE SOCIETYSeattleWA$1.4M2
SCHOOL JUSTICE PROJECT INCWashingtonDC$1.4M3
Next RiverOaklandCA$1.4M1
Institute for Jewish & Community Research DBA Bechol LashonSan FranciscoCA$1.3M2
COLORADO FORUM FUND INCDenverCO$1.3M0
MAINE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC POLICYAugustaME$1.3M1
Lives in the Balance IncFreeportME$1.2M3
Leadership Legacy Life FoundationRoswellGA$1.2M1
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICAL SCIENCESResearch Triangle ParkNC$1.2M4
Lily Dale AssemblyLily DaleNY$1.2M0
POPULATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE INCFront RoyalVA$1.2M1
COMITAS INST FOR ANTHROP STUDY INCChicagoIL$1.2M1
CUMMINGS FOUNDATION FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTHRenoNV$1.2M1
THE FAMILY EFFECTGreenvilleSC$1.2M0