Nonprofit CEO Salaries: $50K to $10M+ (2026 Data), NonprofitTruth

The highest-paid nonprofit CEOs earn millions of dollars annually, sometimes more than their for-profit counterparts. Using IRS 990 data, we rank CEO compensation at major nonprofits and analyze whether high pay correlates with organizational efficiency.

Highest Current-Officer Compensation

Figures below are the total compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees reported on IRS Form 990 Part IX, line 5 — an aggregate for each organization, not a single CEO’s salary. Per-person amounts appear on each filing’s Schedule J.

Rank	Organization	Officer Comp	% of Revenue
1	Mass General Brigham Incorporated And Affiliates Group Rtn	$105,154,430	0.46%
2	Mayo Clinic Group Return	$102,851,293	0.74%
3	Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc	$90,793,859	0.12%
4	Dignity Health	$82,075,595	0.83%
5	Cleveland Clinic Foundation	$80,262,387	0.51%
6	The New York And Presbyterian Hospital	$57,403,376	0.56%
7	Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania	$53,221,243	0.54%
8	Providence Health & Services Washington	$52,170,375	0.53%
9	Texas Childrens Hospital	$51,408,310	1.34%
10	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$50,997,456	0.68%
11	Rwjbh Corporate Services Inc	$47,894,695	2.81%
12	Wellstar Health System Inc	$46,895,794	2.21%
13	Ihc Health Services Inc	$44,531,762	0.46%
14	Banner Health	$44,071,098	0.46%
15	Nyu Langone Hospitals	$41,930,798	0.47%
16	Ochsner Clinic Foundation	$40,071,793	0.79%
17	Hackensack Meridian Health Inc	$39,378,862	0.53%
18	Emory University	$38,319,737	0.61%
19	Bon Secours Mercy Health Inc	$35,876,194	0.41%
20	Childrens Health System Of Texas	$33,589,121	1.38%
21	Rush University Medical Center	$32,963,605	1.24%
22	Sutter Health	$32,813,627	1.74%
23	Ohio State University Physicians Inc	$32,490,770	3.14%
24	Bjc Health System	$31,534,029	2.35%
25	Emory	$31,064,277	0.89%

Does High CEO Pay Mean Low Efficiency?

Not necessarily. The correlation between officer compensation and Efficiency Score is weak. Some of the highest-reported officer-pay totals belong to massive health systems with billions in revenue and deep balance sheets. The key metric is the officer-compensation ratio — what percentage of total revenue goes to current-officer compensation (Form 990 Part IX, line 5, an aggregate for all listed officers, not one CEO). $2M in officer pay at an organization with $5B in revenue is 0.04% of revenue; $300K at an organization with $5M in revenue is 6%.

See our worst charities and best charities lists for overall efficiency rankings. Browse the full CEO salary database on our CEO salaries page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do nonprofit CEOs get paid?

Yes. Nonprofit CEOs receive compensation like any executive. IRS rules require that compensation be "reasonable" relative to the organization's size, complexity, and comparable positions. However, there is no legal cap on nonprofit executive pay.

What is the average nonprofit CEO salary?

Average CEO compensation varies enormously by organization size. Small nonprofits (under $1M revenue): $50K-$80K. Mid-size ($1M-$10M): $100K-$200K. Large ($10M-$100M): $200K-$500K. Very large ($100M+): $500K-$2M+. The largest health systems and universities pay CEOs $3M-$10M.

Where is nonprofit CEO pay reported?

Nonprofit executive compensation is reported on IRS Form 990, Schedule J (Compensation Information for Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees). These are public records.

About This Data

Compensation data from IRS Form 990, Schedule J via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API. See our methodology.

How Much Do Nonprofit CEOs Make? Salary Data