U.S. Nonprofit Development Director Salary:
2024 Benchmarks
The median U.S. nonprofit development director earns $131,308 per year based on 966 organizations filing IRS Form 990 for tax year 2024. Development directors lead fundraising operations and are among the highest-paid non-executive roles in the sector. Here is what the data shows.
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Median Salary
$131,308
25th Percentile
$111,304
75th Percentile
$160,184
Data Points
966
Tax year 2024 data includes 519,095 filings. Development director salary benchmarks below are based on 966 organizations from 2024 filings with the normalized title "Director of Development" on Form 990 Part VII. Development directors are reported on the 990 when they are officers, key employees, or among the five highest-compensated employees — meaning this dataset skews toward organizations large enough to employ a dedicated development professional. We continuously update our datasets as new filings become available from the IRS.
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Development Director Salary by Organization Budget Size
Budget size is the primary driver of development director compensation. Directors at organizations with budgets over $25M earn more than three times those at sub-$1M organizations. Unlike CEO and ED roles, development directors are concentrated at mid-size organizations — 34% work at $1M-$5M nonprofits. Based on 966 development director compensation records from tax year 2024 Form 990 filings.
| Budget Size | Median Salary | 25th Pctl | 75th Pctl | # Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1M | $47,390 | $18,293 | $107,660 | 156 |
| $1M - $5M | $128,124 | $111,223 | $151,936 | 332 |
| $5M - $10M | $138,511 | $120,965 | $165,385 | 206 |
| $10M - $25M | $144,593 | $127,067 | $177,314 | 184 |
| $25M+ | $168,996 | $139,118 | $214,011 | 88 |
| Total | 966 |
Source: IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns, Tax year 2024. All 966 development director records included.. 5 categories shown.
Get more data →Development Director Salary by State (Top 10)
Washington D.C. leads development director compensation, reflecting the concentration of national advocacy organizations and large nonprofits headquartered in the capital. New York and Maryland follow, driven by major metro areas with large development operations. Based on states with 15+ development director records in tax year 2024.
| State | Median Salary | 25th Pctl | 75th Pctl | # Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington D.C. | $168,384 | $139,462 | $196,492 | 71 |
| New York | $154,409 | $129,510 | $178,736 | 107 |
| Maryland | $153,938 | $123,522 | $174,406 | 26 |
| Michigan | $143,592 | $111,754 | $168,605 | 16 |
| Virginia | $139,358 | $111,324 | $169,885 | 28 |
| New Jersey | $139,242 | $124,958 | $190,000 | 37 |
| California | $137,098 | $119,294 | $159,048 | 125 |
| Georgia | $136,750 | $115,997 | $154,440 | 21 |
| Massachusetts | $133,994 | $114,312 | $163,718 | 52 |
| Connecticut | $131,965 | $120,741 | $157,094 | 25 |
| Total | 508 |
Source: IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns, Tax year 2024. States with 15+ development director records shown.. 10 categories shown.
Get more data →Development Director Salary by Sector (Top 10)
Philanthropy & voluntarism organizations pay the highest development director salaries, followed by healthcare. Arts & culture has the largest sample in this dataset, reflecting the sector's heavy reliance on fundraising. Based on NTEE classification (via BMF) of 2024 Form 990 filings. Top 10 sectors by median salary shown.
| Sector (NTEE) | Median Salary | 25th Pctl | 75th Pctl | # Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philanthropy & Voluntarism | $158,069 | $119,494 | $184,624 | 40 |
| Healthcare | $145,000 | $130,422 | $176,390 | 59 |
| Civil Rights | $139,144 | $122,335 | $177,794 | 45 |
| Environment | $137,966 | $118,924 | $168,463 | 44 |
| Housing & Shelter | $135,120 | $120,106 | $181,125 | 25 |
| Arts & Culture | $133,689 | $108,379 | $163,810 | 97 |
| Community Improvement | $133,167 | $114,382 | $150,014 | 29 |
| Education | $128,750 | $109,943 | $158,885 | 77 |
| Diseases & Medical | $128,027 | $104,035 | $155,438 | 25 |
| International | $127,294 | $115,743 | $168,603 | 32 |
| Total | 473 |
Source: IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns, Tax year 2024. 10 categories shown.
Get more data →What Factors Affect Development Director Salary?
Four key drivers explain most of the variation in nonprofit development director compensation.
Development directors are responsible for an organization's fundraising strategy, donor relations, and revenue generation. The role is one of the highest-paid non-executive positions in the nonprofit sector, with a median salary of $131,308 — higher than 63% of executive directors and 64% of the median CEO salary. This reflects the direct revenue impact of effective fundraising leadership.
Budget Size
The primary predictor. Development directors at $25M+ organizations earn a median of $168,996, more than three times the $47,390 median at sub-$1M organizations. However, the salary curve flattens above $5M — the jump from $5M-$10M ($138,511) to $25M+ ($168,996) is only 22%, compared to a 170% jump from under $1M to $1M-$5M.
Geography
Development directors in Washington D.C. earn a median of $168,384, 28% above the national median. New York ($154,409) and Maryland ($153,938) follow. D.C.'s premium reflects the concentration of national nonprofits with large fundraising operations.
Sector
Philanthropy & voluntarism organizations pay the highest at $158,069, followed by healthcare ($145,000). Arts & culture organizations, which depend heavily on individual giving, have the largest number of development directors (97 in our dataset) with a median of $133,689.
Revenue Impact
Unlike many nonprofit roles, development directors have a direct, measurable impact on revenue. Organizations that can attribute fundraising growth to their development leadership tend to pay at the upper end of the range.
The Salary Plateau Above $5M
Development director pay rises steeply from sub-$1M to $1M-$5M organizations (170% increase), but the curve flattens above $5M. The jump from $5M-$10M to $25M+ is only 22%. At larger organizations, fundraising responsibilities may shift to a Chief Development Officer or VP of Development, limiting the upside for the Director of Development title specifically.
Understanding the Salary Range
The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile reveals the market for development talent.
The overall median of $131,308 reflects a relatively tight distribution compared to CEO and ED salaries. The 25th percentile is $111,304 and the 75th percentile is $160,184 — an interquartile range of just $49K. This is significantly narrower than the CEO range ($255K) or the ED range ($87K), suggesting more standardized market rates for development professionals.
The sub-$1M tier is the exception, with a wide spread from $18,293 to $107,660. Many of these are likely part-time development coordinators or organizations where a program staff member carries the fundraising title. Above $1M, the ranges tighten considerably — the $1M-$5M tier spans $111,223 to $151,936, a range of just $41K.
Interquartile Range
The $49K gap between the 25th percentile ($111,304) and 75th percentile ($160,184) is the narrowest of any role we benchmark. Development director pay is more standardized than CEO, CFO, or ED compensation.
Mean vs. Median
The mean development director salary is $132,958, almost identical to the median of $131,308 — just 1.3% higher. This near-parity is unusual and indicates a symmetric distribution with few extreme outliers in either direction.
Development Director vs. Other Fundraising Titles
How the Director of Development compares to Chief Development Officers, VPs, and other fundraising roles.
The nonprofit fundraising hierarchy includes several distinct titles. "Director of Development" is the most common (966 organizations in our 2024 dataset), followed by "Chief Development Officer" (CDO). Understanding where each title sits in the hierarchy helps organizations set competitive compensation and helps professionals evaluate offers.
Director of Development
Median: $131,308. The most common fundraising leadership title. Typically manages the development team, donor relations, and annual giving. Most prevalent at $1M-$10M organizations.
Chief Development Officer
A more senior title used at larger organizations. CDOs typically sit on the executive team and oversee all revenue generation including major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaigns.
Title Progression in Fundraising
The typical career path runs from Development Coordinator → Development Manager → Director of Development → VP of Development or Chief Development Officer. Each step up corresponds to larger organizations, broader scope, and higher compensation. Our data covers only the Director of Development title — the other titles have different compensation distributions.
How to Benchmark Development Director Compensation
The IRS requires that development director pay be comparable to similar organizations. Match on these four variables.
Budget Size
Find organizations within 50-200% of your annual budget. This is the single largest driver of development director pay. A $500K organization should not benchmark against $5M organizations.
Sector
Match by NTEE category. A philanthropy development director and an education development director at the same budget have different market rates — $158,069 vs. $128,750 at the median.
Geography
Compare within your state or metro area. D.C. development directors earn 28% more than the national median.
Total Compensation
Include base pay, benefits, deferred comp, and perks. The IRS evaluates the full package, not just the salary line.
25th-75th
The reasonable range
Development director pay between the 25th and 75th percentile of comparable organizations is generally considered reasonable. Above the 75th percentile requires documented justification.
IRS Safe Harbor: Protect Your Board
Meet all three requirements to shift the burden of proof to the IRS.
Without Safe Harbor
Your board must prove compensation is reasonable. The IRS can challenge any decision, and penalties hit board members personally.
With Safe Harbor
The IRS must prove compensation is excessive. Your board has a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness.
Independent Committee
Board members with no financial interest in the outcome. Staff and anyone who benefits from the decision cannot participate.
Comparability Data
Salary data from similar organizations: Form 990 filings, compensation surveys, or other reliable sources matched by budget, sector, and geography.
Written Record
Document the data reviewed, the deliberation, and the basis for the decision. Complete before the next board meeting after the vote.
Penalties are personal
25% excise tax on the executive for excess compensation. 10% on each approving board member (up to $20,000 each). Section 4958 penalties hit individuals, not the organization.
How We Help
Our Comparability Study generates a board-ready report with Form 990 data matched to your budget, sector, and geography. It satisfies the comparability data requirement and provides a documentation framework for all three safe harbor elements.
Our Comparability Study generates a board-ready report with Form 990 data matched to your budget, sector, and geography. It satisfies the comparability data requirement and provides a documentation framework for all three safe harbor elements.
How This Data Is Calculated
Transparency in methodology builds trust.
Sample Size
966 organizations
Data Source
IRS Form 990 electronically filed returns
Period
Tax year 2024
Development directors are identified by the normalized title "Director of Development" from Part VII of Form 990. Where an organization reports multiple development directors, we use the highest-compensated individual. Total compensation includes reportable compensation from the organization, related organizations, and other compensation (benefits, deferred comp, nontaxable fringe). All monetary values are stored in cents and converted to dollars. Only records with total compensation greater than $0 are included. Development directors appear on Form 990 Part VII when they are officers, key employees, or among the five highest-compensated employees — this means the dataset includes primarily organizations large enough to employ a dedicated, well-compensated development professional.
Total Compensation (not just base salary)
We use the Form 990 Part VII total compensation figure, which includes reportable comp from the organization, comp from related organizations, and other compensation (benefits, deferred comp, nontaxable fringe). This matches what the IRS evaluates for reasonableness under Section 4958.
One Development Director per Organization
Where an organization reports multiple people with a Director of Development title, we use the highest-compensated individual. This handles transitions (outgoing + incoming in the same filing year) and provides the cleanest benchmark.
Title Matching
Development directors are identified by the normalized title "Director of Development" derived from the raw title field on Form 990 Part VII. This does not include Chief Development Officers, VPs of Development, or fundraising coordinators, which have different compensation distributions. The "Director of Development" title is the most common fundraising leadership title in the dataset.
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