Nonprofit CEO Salary in California:
2024 Benchmarks
The median nonprofit CEO in California earns $161,421 per year based on 2,525 organizations filing IRS Form 990 for tax year 2024. California is the largest state in our dataset by nonprofit count. Here is how CEO pay breaks down by budget size and sector.
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California Median
$161,421
National Median
$207,708
25th Percentile
$65,000
75th Percentile
$305,656
All figures based on IRS Form 990 filings for tax year 2024. Compensation includes base salary, bonus, and other reportable compensation. One record per organization (highest-paid CEO).
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CEO Salary by Budget Size in California
How CEO compensation scales with organization budget in California. Larger budgets correlate with significantly higher pay, with CEOs at $25M+ organizations earning over 9x the median of those at sub-$1M organizations.
| Budget Tier | Median | 25th Pctl | 75th Pctl | # Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1M | $58,333 | $23,050 | $108,756 | 1,075 |
| $1M – $5M | $186,106 | $127,329 | $262,810 | 694 |
| $5M – $10M | $269,374 | $186,514 | $366,899 | 266 |
| $10M – $25M | $333,198 | $249,622 | $473,955 | 218 |
| $25M+ | $544,094 | $360,661 | $952,460 | 272 |
| Total | 2,525 |
Source: IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns, Tax year 2024. Budget tiers based on total expenses. One CEO per organization (highest-paid).. 5 categories shown.
Get more data →CEO Salary by Sector in California
CEO compensation varies significantly by nonprofit sector. Healthcare leads at $337,771, reflecting the complexity of managing hospitals and health systems. Arts & culture organizations pay the least at $75,349.
| Sector | Median | 25th Pctl | 75th Pctl | # Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | $337,771 | $129,573 | $650,480 | 211 |
| Diseases & Medical | $257,057 | $144,371 | $318,651 | 23 |
| Housing & Shelter | $252,936 | $168,148 | $444,471 | 120 |
| Community Improvement | $208,602 | $119,415 | $310,614 | 156 |
| Philanthropy & Voluntarism | $195,016 | $72,524 | $377,997 | 154 |
| International | $150,958 | $73,153 | $247,160 | 55 |
| Human Services | $144,571 | $64,712 | $238,702 | 296 |
| Education | $121,264 | $50,250 | $256,693 | 175 |
| Youth Development | $108,327 | $35,880 | $212,370 | 76 |
| Other | $100,037 | $40,000 | $232,596 | 588 |
| Mental Health | $80,634 | $36,105 | $187,870 | 64 |
| Arts & Culture | $75,349 | $30,738 | $165,863 | 138 |
| Total | 2,056 |
Source: IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns, Tax year 2024. Sectors with 10+ organizations shown. Classified by NTEE code.. 12 categories shown.
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What Drives CEO Pay in California
California's nonprofit sector is the nation's largest, with wide variation in CEO compensation driven by organizational size, sector, and regional cost of living.
California has the most nonprofits of any state, and that scale creates enormous diversity in CEO pay. The median CEO salary of $161,421 is actually 22% below the national median of $207,708. This is because California has a disproportionately large number of small community organizations — 1,075 of the 2,525 CEOs in our dataset lead organizations with budgets under $1 million, where the median salary is just $58,333.
Budget Size
Organization budget is the strongest predictor of CEO pay. CEOs at California nonprofits with $25M+ budgets earn a median of $544,094 — more than 9x the median at sub-$1M organizations.
Sector Mix
Healthcare CEOs earn the most ($337,771 median), reflecting the complexity of running hospitals and health systems. Arts & culture organizations pay the least at $75,349.
Cost of Living
California's high cost of living pushes compensation up in absolute terms, but the state's median is still below the national figure because of its large share of small nonprofits.
Regional Variation
Within California, the Bay Area and Los Angeles tend to have higher-paying nonprofits than rural regions, driven by both org size and local cost of living.
The Small Org Effect
43% of California CEOs in our dataset lead organizations with budgets under $1M. This pulls the statewide median well below the national figure, even though California's largest nonprofits pay among the highest CEO salaries in the country.
How California Ranks Nationally
Comparing California CEO compensation to other states and the national benchmarks.
Despite being home to some of the country's highest-paying nonprofits, California's overall median CEO salary of $161,421 places it in the middle of the pack nationally. Washington D.C. leads at $358,590, followed by New York at $328,850. California's median is held down by its enormous base of small organizations.
$400,676
Mean CEO Salary in California
The mean is 2.5x the median ($161,421), indicating a long right tail — a relatively small number of very highly compensated CEOs at large organizations pull the average up significantly.
Compare Within Your Segment
The statewide median masks enormous variation. When benchmarking, always compare within your budget tier and sector. A $5M human services nonprofit in California should compare to the $5M–$10M tier ($269,374 median), not the overall state figure.
How This Data Is Calculated
Transparency in methodology builds trust.
Sample Size
2,525 organizations
Data Source
IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns
Period
Tax year 2024
Compensation figures include base salary, bonus, and other reportable compensation from IRS Form 990. One record per organization is used (highest-paid CEO) to avoid double-counting organizations with co-CEOs or leadership transitions. All monetary values converted from cents. Sector analysis uses NTEE classification codes, with sectors having fewer than 10 organizations excluded.
Deduplication
Each organization is counted once, using the highest-paid CEO. This prevents orgs with co-leaders or mid-year transitions from being counted multiple times.
Budget Tiers
Budget tiers are based on total expenses (not revenue) from the same Form 990 filing, providing a more stable measure of organizational size.
Sector Classification
Sectors are derived from the first letter of the organization's NTEE code. Sectors with fewer than 10 organizations are excluded from the sector breakdown.
Percentile Calculation
Percentiles use continuous interpolation (PERCENTILE_CONT), which interpolates between adjacent values for more precise results.
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