Nonprofit Executive Compensation: How Much Do Nonprofit CEOs Make?

Nonprofit executive compensation is one of the most searched (and most misunderstood) topics in the sector. Donors want to know if their money is going to programs or paychecks. Board members need to set competitive salaries. And executives themselves want to understand what’s reasonable for their organization’s size.

The good news is that this data isn’t hidden. Every nonprofit that files a Form 990 reports the compensation of its officers, directors, and highest-paid employees. It’s public record, and you can look it up for any organization.

Where to find nonprofit compensation data

Form 990, Part VII

This is where it lives. Part VII of the IRS Form 990 lists every officer, director, trustee, and key employee, along with three columns of compensation:

• Reportable compensation from the organization: Base salary, bonuses, and other direct pay
• Reportable compensation from related organizations: Pay from affiliates, subsidiaries, or parent organizations
• Estimated amount of other compensation: Benefits, deferred compensation, retirement contributions, and nontaxable fringe benefits

The total of all three columns gives you the full compensation picture. Looking at just the first column can significantly understate what someone actually earns.

Schedule J

For organizations that pay any individual more than $150,000, Schedule J provides additional detail. This includes whether the compensation was based on a comparability study, whether the board approved it, and breakdowns of specific benefit categories.

How to look it up

On 501(see), you can search for any organization and view officer compensation data extracted directly from their 990 filings. You’ll see each officer’s name, title, reported hours, and total compensation, without having to download and read through PDFs.

You can also search across officers directly, which is useful if you’re benchmarking a specific role across multiple organizations.

What do nonprofit CEOs actually make?

Compensation varies enormously based on organization size, location, and sector. Here are some general ranges based on total reported compensation (salary + benefits + deferred comp):

Small nonprofits (under $1M budget): Executive directors at small organizations often earn $40,000–$80,000. Many organizations this size don’t have a full-time paid executive at all.

Mid-size nonprofits ($1M–$10M budget): CEO/ED compensation typically ranges from $80,000–$200,000. This is where you see the widest variation, depending on geography and mission.

Large nonprofits ($10M–$100M budget): Executive compensation generally runs $150,000–$500,000. At this level, organizations are competing for management talent with for-profit companies, and compensation reflects that.

Major nonprofits (over $100M budget): CEOs of the largest nonprofits (major hospitals, universities, national charities) can earn $500,000 to well over $1M. Hospital system CEOs routinely earn $2M+.

These are rough ranges. The specifics depend heavily on the organization’s sector (healthcare pays more than arts), geography (New York City pays more than rural Kansas), and complexity.

Is high compensation a red flag?

Not necessarily. The question isn’t whether a number is “high” in absolute terms; it’s whether it’s reasonable given the organization’s size, complexity, and comparable market.

A CEO earning $500,000 at a $200M hospital system is probably compensated in line with the market. A CEO earning $500,000 at a $2M advocacy nonprofit would warrant scrutiny.

Things that are more useful to examine:

• Compensation as a percentage of total expenses. If executive comp eats a large share of the budget, that’s worth noting, especially at smaller organizations.
• Compensation trends. Is the CEO’s pay growing faster than the organization’s revenue or program spending? That’s a pattern worth questioning.
• Comparability. The IRS expects nonprofit boards to conduct a “comparability study,” reviewing similar organizations to set reasonable compensation. Schedule J tells you whether they did.
• Total compensation, not just salary. Some executives have modest base salaries but large benefits, retirement contributions, or deferred compensation packages. Always look at the total.

How boards should use this data

If you’re on a nonprofit board setting executive compensation, 990 data from comparable organizations is your best free benchmarking tool. Here’s a practical approach:

1. Identify 5–10 comparable organizations. Similar mission, budget size, geography, and complexity. Use 501(see) to search by category, state, and revenue range.
2. Pull their officer compensation data. Look at the CEO/Executive Director specifically, and note total compensation (all three columns).
3. Document the comparison. The IRS expects boards to follow a “rebuttable presumption of reasonableness” process, meaning if you can show you looked at comparable data, your compensation decision is presumed reasonable.
4. Review annually. Compensation benchmarks shift. What was competitive three years ago may not be today.

How donors should use this data

If you’re evaluating a charity before donating, executive compensation is one data point, not the whole picture. A well-run organization with a well-compensated CEO who’s delivering results is a better investment than a poorly run organization where the executive is underpaid but programs are ineffective.

That said, extreme outliers are worth investigating. If compensation seems wildly out of proportion to the organization’s size or mission, it’s reasonable to ask questions.

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Nonprofit compensation data is public, accessible, and more useful than most people realize, whether you’re a board member benchmarking salaries, a donor doing due diligence, or a researcher studying the sector.

Search nonprofit officer compensation on 501(see) – free, no account required.