Starting A Nonprofit: Average Staff Salaries UPDATED for 2022!

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

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[@jagone5672]

Keep the content coming! May not always comment but always Blessed with your knowledge. Thank you!

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

:) Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[@DuaneJBarrett]

Always find your content really really helpful. Even though we are UK based, i find your video's really helpful to us!

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Happy to hear that! What are some ways organizations are different in the UK from your perspective?

[@DuaneJBarrett]

@@AmberMelanieSmith That is a really good question. For me (us), is over here in the UK we do tend to think smaller than you over in the US. You treat your non-profits with more of a business like approach, and I would love to adopt some of that focus and drive into our charity.

[@kindredspirit27]

Thank you for sharing this. I'm weighing two job offers and earning potential has been unclear. So this is very helpful.

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SperoChildInternational]

thank you Amber

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

You're welcome!

[@aquaculture8028]

Gotta get paid!

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Having full time staff who can dedicate their time to the cause has been a game changer - definitely worth the cost IMO!

[@baanjones5910]

A staff of 24, our executive director is making $90,000. I think that’s a large salary. Cost of living isn’t high in the area. How do you reduce the salary. This was negotiated by the previous executive board.

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Depending on your area, their years of experience, and the complexity of your mission, that doesn't sound too high. That would be average in some places.

[@mrsokafor7048]

I would like to get an update on the manager position income range.

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Hello! This will vary by what kind of manager you mean. Fund Development or Marketing Managers average higher than Program managers, for example.

[@2close2themoon]

Are these budget numbers the program budget, or the organization's total budget? I've seen grantmakers who won't fund a startup or young org with salary percentages that high. At a total overall budget of $240,000, the average salary for an executive director and program director would constitute 34% of the organization's budget. I know in the for-profit world labor is usually the highest chunk of any company budget, but it seems like some grantmakers can get very draconian in their demands. Plus, many many many won't fund salaries at all.

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

A few things - 1) definitely check out the report (linked below I believe), they show salary ranges for different budget sizes. 2) For a start up, your infrastructure costs will naturally be higher than a more mature organization because you have more up front costs to get things structured. 3) You're right, funders need to invest more in people and infrastructure, and if they don't, they are falling prey to the Overhead Myth. :)

[@jenniferlosee3189]

Amber, when speaking of budgets and how much you pay your staff, are these salaries the only thing making up the budget? Some of those salaries seem like a lot of money in my opinion. If the entire budget also includes your program money, and all the other money it takes to run a NPO a majority of the funds are going to paid staff positions?

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Hey there! Every nonprofit is different, and staff and associated costs (payroll taxes, insurance / benefits, etc.) may make up a large or small amount completely depending on the specific mission and needs of each organization. A common misconception is that staff salaries are automatically "overhead". That is not true. If staff is running programs, those are program expenses (not admin). Nonprofit staff are paid notoriously low amounts (similar to other public service jobs, etc.) and there has been a lot of dialogue lately about equity and how critical it is to compensate staff appropriately. After all, if you are a nonprofit that combats poverty (for example), and what you pay your own staff keeps you in poverty, are you not technically perpetuating the very social problem you exist to address? Anyway, I could go on - but there are a ton of helpful articles and research on this topic if you're interested!

[@jenniferlosee3189]

@@AmberMelanieSmith Thank you amber for breaking that down to me. That makes total sense. We are an all volunteer operation right now, but of course, figuring out salaries is going to be something we have to address in the long term.

[@Kmulat]

Can you do support staff? I work at a nonprofit, with refugees and am really curious now 🤔 thanks for this

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

I'll see what I can find - the compensation reports are often pretty costly so I get what I can :)

[@Kmulat]

@@AmberMelanieSmith oh no problem thanks!

[@nelsonquerales413]

Your numbers may have variety per state?

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Yes, because cost of living is different in different states.

[@baanjones5910]

Is the budget for the year or monthly?

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

A budget is yearly usually.

[@gabrielmarinez5410]

😊

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

:)

[@roberttolan]

Are nonprofit staff W2 or 1099??

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Generally W2 unless you're hiring a contractor?

[@TRENDINGSTREAM]

your rich 🎉

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Rich in spirit and community and love and impact :)

[@TRENDINGSTREAM]

@@AmberMelanieSmith like you said it is a passion to help

[@peternewbury4953]

Isn't the whole concept of a non-profit giving and not taking. If youvare concerned with your salary get a job in the private sector. Good luck as my guess you are going to be unqualified. 😮

[@AmberMelanieSmith]

Nonprofits employ 10% of the US workforce, and most of the nonprofits you've heard of have paid staff. Just like you'd pay teachers, social workers, and other public servants, it takes skilled professionals to do this work, and it is important that they are paid enough so that they are not part of the cycle of poverty organizations are trying to combat.