The State of Nonprofit Executive Compensation in 2025
Steady but Uneven Growth
Median executive compensation has grown steadily over the past five years, with nonprofit leaders earning a median of $137,000 in 2023. While this signals professionalization and recognition of the complexity of nonprofit leadership, the averages mask significant disparities.
Context Matters: Size and Sector
Budget size remains the single biggest driver of pay. At nonprofits with under $250,000 in expenses, median CEO compensation is $44,000. Compare that to organizations with budgets over $50 million, where CEOs earn a median of $524,000. The leap is not incremental—it reflects entirely different organizational contexts, responsibilities, and expectations.
Sector differences are just as stark. Science and technology research organizations top the charts at over $200,000 median compensation, while religion-related, arts, and animal-related nonprofits remain at the bottom, with many leaders earning under $100,000.
Location Shapes Salaries
Geography plays its role as well. Leaders in the Northeast command the highest median pay ($149,000), outpacing those in the South and Midwest, where medians fall closer to $120,000. States like the District of Columbia ($189,000 median), New York, and Massachusetts consistently rank among the highest-paying.
Persistent Gender Gaps
The report underscores ongoing gender inequities. Women now make up the majority of CEOs at smaller nonprofits but are dramatically underrepresented in the largest organizations—only 18% of CEOs at $50M+ nonprofits are women. Pay gaps also widen at the top: while the overall gender gap has narrowed since 2013, women CEOs at the largest organizations earn just $0.82 for every dollar paid to male counterparts.
Beyond the CEO
Interestingly, CEOs are not always the highest-paid executives. Roles such as CFOs, COOs, and General Counsels often surpass CEO pay, largely because these positions tend to exist only in large organizations with elevated salary scales.
Accountability and Transparency
With rising donor, media, and Congressional scrutiny, nonprofits are under pressure to demonstrate that executive pay is both fair and mission-appropriate. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 introduced steep penalties for excessive compensation, reinforcing the need for transparent benchmarks like Candid’s report.
Why This Matters
Nonprofits looking to attract and retain leadership talent, have many complexities to consider. Peer benchmarks can help them remain competitive, but decisions must be made in the context of an organization's size, scope and operational budget.
Paying leaders fairly is not about extravagance—it’s about ensuring that nonprofits can sustain their missions with the right people at the helm. As the nonprofit sector navigates leadership transitions and prepares for the next generation of executives, compensation data can offer a valuable compass.
The State of Nonprofit Executive Compensation in 2025
Executive compensation is not just about dollars and cents—it’s about whether the dollars make sense. Nonprofits competing for executive leaders must balance market realities with donor expectations and mission stewardship. For boards, this means grounding compensation decisions in context: the size, scope, and complexity of the organization, as well as its peer benchmarks.
Candid’s 2025 Nonprofit Compensation Report offers one of the most comprehensive looks at pay practices in the nonprofit sector. Based on over 217,000 positions across 130,000 organizations, the findings highlight trends that matter for boards, executives, and funders alike.
At Charity Search Group, we specialize in helping nonprofit boards and hiring committees navigate recruitment and pay strategies with confidence. From benchmarking compensation to ensuring diverse candidate pipelines, we connect organizations with the right leaders to carry their missions forward.
👉 Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help your organization attract and retain extraordinary nonprofit talent.
Related Resources
- Nonprofit Leadership & Careers — our full guide on this topic.
- Nonprofit Budget Dashboard
- Nonprofit Salary Negotiation Scripts
- Explore current opportunities
