The Highest Paid Job Titles Across the Nonprofit Sector

Idealist’s Nonprofit Salary Explorer has been collecting real data from real people since 2020. During that time, we’ve added more than 45,000 nonprofit salaries to our database.

Since its launch, the Nonprofit Salary Explorer has helped us to learn a lot about nonprofit professionals, including how they’re paid across different types of organizations, cities, and job levels. As we continue to grow this tool with you (submit your own salary anonymously here!), we’re eager to share some interesting data points; namely, what job titles are earning the highest salaries.

How to use this resource

The Nonprofit Salary Explorer includes data from people in locales all over the U.S, as well as from professionals working at organizations of varying sizes. To equitably account for cost of living across location and organization size, we’re using a median instead of an average to share data; that way, we can accurately reflect what many social-impact professionals are earning in a certain role.

Additionally, we’ve organized the data by job level so that, regardless of where you are in your career, you can use this resource to plan your next move. Here’s a breakdown of job levels:

• Level 1-2: These are often entry-level jobs that require minimal experience. According to our salary data, social-impact professionals in these positions have 1-2 years of work experience and a 4-year degree.
• Level 3-4: These jobs generally require more experience, expertise, and responsibility compared to Level 1 and Level 2 roles. A majority of the salary submissions for Level 3-4 jobs show that professionals have 3-5 years of experience, a 4-year degree, and occasionally a Master’s degree. 
• Level 5-6: Jobs that are categorized as Level 5 or Level 6 are considered executive or expert roles within an organization and often require 10+ years of experience in a certain field.
• Level 7-8: These positions include executive roles or highly-specialized positions within an organization. A majority of social-impact professionals working in these roles have at least 15 years of experience, a 4-year degree, and a Master’s degree.

Whether you’re looking for an entry-level role or are hoping to become a Vice President of Development, we trust that this breakdown will help you understand what you could be earning in various social-impact jobs.

Highest paid job titles across the nonprofit sector

(Level 1-2) Grassroots Organizer: $54,921 median salary 

While the job title “Grassroots Organizer” is considered the highest-paying role across Level 1 and Level 2 positions, “Communications Coordinator” and “Program Associate” are also common.

(Level 3-4) Project Manager: $73,046 median salary

“Project Manager” roles earn the highest salary across Level 3 and Level 4 positions, but other high-earning job titles include “Communications Manager” and “Operations Manager.”

(Level 5-6) Director of Finance: $101,260 median salary

In addition to Director of Finance, other high-earning job titles that have been submitted to the Nonprofit Salary Explorer include “Director of Operations” and “Development Director.”

(Level 7-8) Senior Director or Vice President of Development: $120,237 median salary

Other high-earning job titles that are categorized as Level 7 or Level 8 roles include “Vice President of Operations” and “Chief Program Officer.”

Additional resources

While the median salaries above reflect the information we’ve received to date, new submissions populate the Nonprofit Salary Explorer every day with additional job titles, levels, and data points. As we continue to grow our tool, we hope you can return to this resource whenever you’re making an important decision about your career.

Maybe you’ve now realized that you want to go back to school. Perhaps you are considering a director-level role as your ultimate career goal. Here are additional resources to help you visualize your dream career and start making progress toward your goals:

• Designing Your Dream Career: Sign up for Idealist’s free, four-part email course created to help you take the next big step in your social-impact journey.
• “Perfect Resume" Roadmap: Download our exclusive resume resource for a guided tour through resume best practices, suggested sections, formatting ideas, space savers, and even a few common errors to keep an eye out for.
• Email Templates for Networking: Use these two email templates to tap your network for job openings and other opportunities to advance your career.
• Should I Go to Grad School? Here are 5 Good Reasons: If you’re wondering whether a graduate degree can improve your career prospects, here are some points to consider before you apply.