- Insights
- The Highest Paid Nonprofit CEOs
The highest-paid nonprofit leaders — CEOs, Executive Directors, etc. — all earn at least $900k per year, and into the tens of millions for the largest of hospitals and health systems. While the highest-paid nonprofit CEOs are in healthcare and financial services, things get more interesting when we look at normal charities. The highest-paid charity CEOs tend to be a mix of arts organizations, museums, and research institutes, although a wide variety of organizations pay their leadership quite well.
Executive compensation is a tricky issue. Just because a CEO or Executive Director is paid well doesn't mean they aren't more than worth it. But it's still worth trying to understand if a nonprofit exec's pay is similar to their colleagues or not. To do so, we compared total compensation as a percent of organization revenue, and total compensation as a percent of all salaries and benefits paid out by the organization. We found that most executives compensation was between 1.0% and 1.4% of total revenue and between 3.0% and 3.3% of all salaries and benefits paid (these are 25th and 75 percentiles). We found executives paid up to 8.8% of total revenue and 58.3% of all salaries and benefits paid.
Top 10 highest-paid nonprofit CEOs
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$13,463,390
Base:
$4,838,032
1.3%
2.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$1,012,200,002
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$12,465,866
Base:
$625,269
4.8%
33.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$257,132,367
2017-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$12,414,295
Base:
$2,169,286
0.2%
0.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$6,714,154,880
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$11,256,938
Base:
$1,489,493
0.2%
0.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$7,138,466,898
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$10,669,493
Base:
$1,954,232
4.5%
14.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$238,520,840
2018-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$10,631,627
Base:
$1,400,605
0.4%
1.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$2,389,900,816
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer and President
Amount:
$9,946,020
Base:
$1,010,087
2.9%
11.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$343,670,713
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$8,917,055
Base:
$1,015,004
29.4%
66.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$30,331,259
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$8,564,141
Base:
$1,186,628
1.5%
2.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$575,649,444
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer and Ex - Efficio Director
Amount:
$8,053,745
Base:
$1,721,005
3.3%
8.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$244,219,286
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Top 50 highest-paid charity CEOs
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$10,631,627
Base:
$1,400,605
0.4%
1.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$2,389,900,816
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer , President , Director
Amount:
$5,964,082
Base:
$1,871,319
6.9%
8.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$86,484,448
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$4,615,910
Base:
$416,816
8.3%
77.9%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$55,904,252
2019-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$3,775,540
Base:
$1,058,348
0.0%
0.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$9,245,496,160
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer and Dir Until 11 and 4 and 19 / President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$3,125,351
Base:
$616,250
1.3%
2.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$243,525,421
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Executive Director
Amount:
$3,017,012
Base:
$543,317
0.7%
1.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$414,668,610
2018-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,528,882
Base:
$690,090
0.6%
1.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$421,043,576
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,517,493
Base:
$851,015
0.4%
0.7%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$700,362,587
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
Board Member , President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,430,374
Base:
$715,384
0.3%
1.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$829,569,118
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Managing and Artistic Director
Amount:
$2,361,171
Base:
$1,791,925
8.7%
11.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$27,240,751
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer
Amount:
$2,315,041
Base:
$540,000
3.0%
60.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$76,422,895
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President , and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,306,029
Base:
$760,091
1.2%
2.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$194,266,780
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,298,047
Base:
$962,345
1.1%
1.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$203,209,481
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer and Director
Amount:
$2,254,771
Base:
$1,284,036
0.1%
0.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$1,948,082,742
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,226,163
Base:
$699,380
4.2%
7.5%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$52,953,061
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President , Chief Executive Officer and Trustee
Amount:
$2,222,343
Base:
$769,620
1.7%
4.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$133,417,523
2020-03
Location:
Website:
Title:
Executive and Artistic Director
Amount:
$2,167,405
Base:
$1,337,640
3.2%
4.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$67,672,916
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer and President
Amount:
$2,165,759
Base:
$654,157
0.7%
1.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$330,749,865
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,155,823
Base:
$358,937
1.0%
15.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$225,963,433
2021-03
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$2,070,074
Base:
$788,123
2.7%
7.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$77,706,816
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Director / Director , President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,978,783
Base:
$1,348,223
0.3%
0.9%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$586,860,976
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Trustee
Amount:
$1,881,009
Base:
$1,089,410
0.9%
1.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$198,055,556
2020-06
Location:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,822,254
Base:
$1,042,440
0.4%
1.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$483,523,813
2020-03
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,803,862
Base:
$660,046
0.5%
0.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$390,019,935
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer / Board Member
Amount:
$1,775,707
Base:
$1,248,386
1.6%
16.0%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$112,738,455
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,757,770
Base:
$409,122
3.5%
5.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$50,041,977
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chairman , Chief Executive Officer / Chief Executive Officer , Chairman
Amount:
$1,755,865
Base:
$1,308,155
1.6%
3.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$110,718,935
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Trustee , President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,731,293
Base:
$1,140,233
0.1%
0.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$2,005,205,411
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,721,574
Base:
$643,669
3.4%
8.7%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$50,471,539
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,710,106
Base:
$1,189,681
4.0%
1.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$42,264,408
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,701,007
Base:
$1,386,777
0.9%
1.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$192,971,775
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer and Trustee
Amount:
$1,677,781
Base:
$859,347
0.2%
0.5%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$1,107,897,207
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,666,286
Base:
$106,435
13.2%
22.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$12,630,235
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,650,143
Base:
$739,546
4.0%
11.1%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$41,286,938
2019-09
Location:
Title:
President and CEO
Amount:
$1,590,033
Base:
$755,721
4.9%
10.5%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$32,660,704
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,584,565
Base:
$868,515
1.4%
8.4%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$111,334,555
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,578,515
Base:
$548,784
0.6%
4.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$248,844,070
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,530,354
Base:
$811,274
0.3%
0.7%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$460,123,417
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Investment Officer
Amount:
$1,484,488
Base:
$609,741
36.4%
44.6%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$4,075,450
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer , Rti International
Amount:
$1,476,905
Base:
$872,597
0.2%
0.3%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$967,451,493
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,470,014
Base:
$499,046
0.1%
0.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$1,155,829,000
2020-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,456,768
Base:
$699,283
0.2%
1.5%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$605,778,425
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,455,594
Base:
$981,771
1.7%
3.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$86,369,882
2019-08
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,412,852
Base:
$1,411,352
5.3%
8.7%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$26,438,040
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,367,655
Base:
$653,087
0.5%
0.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$255,583,692
2020-06
Location:
Website:
Title:
President
Amount:
$1,359,463
Base:
$738,788
11.0%
11.2%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$12,367,617
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,356,168
Base:
$601,781
0.3%
0.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$422,092,199
2019-12
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,354,417
Base:
$492,623
1.2%
2.8%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$108,959,622
2019-09
Location:
Website:
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amount:
$1,352,901
Base:
$791,995
0.3%
0.7%
NTEE:
Revenue:
$403,087,006
2020-06
Location:
Website: