Highest Paid Nonprofit CEOs in Tennessee
18 nonprofit CEO salaries in Tennessee. The highest-paid earns $24.6M at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Schedule J of IRS Form 990 requires nonprofits to disclose compensation for the five highest-paid employees plus the CEO. The Tennessee data below covers organizations that meet the filing threshold — 20 in total across the state.
Reading officer compensation requires context: $1M in aggregate officer pay at a $50M nonprofit reads very differently than the same figure at a $5B hospital system. The ratio columns below normalize compensation against organizational revenue. Form 990 Schedule J data has a 12-18 month lag from the calendar year the compensation covers — what you see here is the most recent filing year, not the current year.
| # | Organization | Category | Officer Pay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Health | $24.6M | A | |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Education | $20.7M | C | |
| 3 | St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Inc Health | $9.3M | C | |
| 4 | Belmont University Education | $7.6M | C | |
| 5 | The University Of Tennessee Foundation Inc Education | $6.3M | C | |
| 6 | Meharry Medical College Education | $5.8M | B | |
| 7 | Education Loan Finance Inc Education | $3.7M | C | |
| 8 | University Of The South Education | $3.5M | C | |
| 9 | Ducks Unlimited Inc Environment & Animals | $3.4M | B | |
| 10 | Rhodes College Education | $3.3M | C | |
| 11 | Lincoln Memorial University Education | $2.7M | A | |
| 12 | Nashville Symphony Association Arts, Culture & Humanities | $2.0M | D | |
| 13 | Country Music Foundation Inc Arts, Culture & Humanities | $1.7M | C | |
| 14 | Nashville Zoo Inc Environment & Animals | $1.7M | C | |
| 15 | Tennessee Performing Arts Center Management Corporation Arts, Culture & Humanities | $1.3M | B | |
| 16 | Memphis Zoo Inc Environment & Animals | $1.1M | C | |
| 17 | Tennessee Aquarium Environment & Animals | $1.1M | C | |
| 18 | Highlander Research & Education Center Inc Environment & Animals | $190K | B |
See most efficient nonprofits in Tennessee or browse all Tennessee nonprofits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on IRS 990 filings, the highest-paid nonprofit CEO in Tennessee earns $24.6M. Compensation varies widely based on organization size, sector, and location.
All compensation data comes from IRS Form 990 filings, which tax-exempt organizations must file annually. These filings are public records and include detailed compensation for officers and key employees.