Also called: Development officer, Fundraiser
Raises big donations (often $100k to millions) from alumni and donors for a college.
Gifts officers travel to meet donors, learn what they care about, and ask for gifts for scholarships or new buildings. It's relationship-building and sales for a cause.
Estimate; BLS fundraisers median is ~$66k, but university major gifts officers earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree; fundraising experience; CFRE certification helps.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Communications, Business, Any major.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS projects ~5% growth for fundraisers.
Low risk for 10 years. AI finds likely donors and drafts proposals; building trust and asking for million-dollar gifts stay human.
Classes: Speech or debate, Business, AP English Language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1131.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.