Report on Nonprofit Compensation Highlights Pay and Impact of Post-Pandemic Changes

Career Blazers Nonprofit Search has released its national 2025 Nonprofit Compensation Practices and Benchmarking Report, sharing data collected on current salary ranges for key positions within nonprofit organizations and significant hiring and retention trends.

“Overall, the data shows a positive trend toward easier and more stable recruitment and hiring processes,” said Barbara Gebhardt, CEO, Career Blazers Nonprofit Search. “The significant reduction in the difficulty level in recruiting, dropping from fifty-six percent in 2023 to forty-seven percent in 2024, is a promising sign for the job market and organizations looking to fill positions with qualified candidates,” Gebhardt said.

While salary ranges are up and pay remains a critical factor in hiring, trends highlight the evolving landscape of employee retention strategies and reflect both external economic conditions and internal strategic priorities. Sixty-four percent of organizations reported offering training and career development opportunities to retain their best employees, an increase from 2023 findings. Flexibility in remote/hybrid work arrangements remains key. While seventy-three percent of employers noted offering remote/hybrid flexibility in 2023, the 2024 survey reported a twelve percent decrease in that flexibility. “The trend toward more in-person work may reflect policies in response to organizational challenges and productivity benefits gained by collaboration,” said Gebhardt.

Companies are also assessing the impact of pay transparency regulations. Pay transparency laws are continuing to gain traction across the county, with over twenty-five percent of the U.S. workforce covered by some form of pay transparency mandate as of late 2024. Employees are increasingly expecting pay transparency from both potential and current employers. The open sharing of salary data has shown to be beneficial for organizational performance and talent acquisition, with disclosures attracting more high-caliber applicants.

As national and state budget delays grabbed headlines, the survey asked nonprofits about the impact on staffing levels due to program funding delays. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported no impact on staffing. Twenty-six percent reported a decrease in staffing due to delayed commitments or reduced funding. Program funding delays traditionally harm smaller nonprofits, as larger organizations typically have sufficient resources to cover the gaps.

The report is based on a national survey conducted in Fall 2024. Six hundred and fifteen nonprofit organizations representing a wide range of nonprofit sectors throughout the United States participated in the study. Nonprofit compensation ranges for thirty-eight senior and mid-level job titles across seven organizational budget sizes are reported. A salary breakout for nonprofits with an operating budget of two million dollars or less is included for the first time, recognizing the significant contributions of smaller organizations.

Download the "2025 Nonprofit Compensation Practices and Benchmarking Report" here.

Source: Career Blazers Nonprofit Search

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.