Running organizations whose goal is a mission, not profit: charities, foundations, associations and humanitarian groups.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Large Nonprofit CEO: Leads a big charity, hospital foundation or national nonprofit with a large staff and budget. Typical pay $220k.
Chief Development Officer: Leads all fundraising for a nonprofit, from big donors to grants to galas. Typical pay $119k.
Philanthropy Advisor: Helps wealthy families and companies decide how to give away money effectively. Typical pay $125k.
Trade Association Executive: Runs a membership organization for an industry or profession, like the National Association of Realtors or a dentists' society. Typical pay $150k.
Nonprofit Chief Operating Officer: Runs the internal operations of a large nonprofit: finances, HR, IT and facilities. Typical pay $140k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Nonprofit Executive Director: Runs a small or mid-size nonprofit: programs, staff, fundraising and the board. Typical pay $90k.
Foundation Program Officer: Works at a foundation deciding which nonprofits get grants and tracking whether the money makes a difference. Typical pay $100k.
Major Gifts Officer: Builds relationships with wealthy donors and asks for gifts of $25,000 to millions. Typical pay $90k.
Grant Writer: Writes proposals that win money from foundations and governments for nonprofits, schools and researchers. Typical pay $70k.
Fundraiser: Raises money for nonprofits through events, campaigns, mailings and online giving. Typical pay $66k.
Social & Community Service Manager: Runs programs that help people, like food banks, youth programs or homeless services. Typical pay $78k.
Meeting & Event Planner: Plans fundraising galas, conferences and events: venues, catering, speakers and budgets. Typical pay $60k.
Prospect Research Analyst: Researches wealthy people and companies to figure out who might donate to a nonprofit and how much. Typical pay $65k.
Impact Evaluation Specialist: Measures whether nonprofit or government programs actually work. Typical pay $80k.
Membership Manager: Grows and keeps the members of an association, museum or professional society. Typical pay $70k.
Development Database Manager: Runs the donor database that a nonprofit's fundraisers depend on. Typical pay $70k.
Nonprofit Capacity-Building Consultant: Helps small nonprofits get stronger, with better boards, strategic plans and fundraising systems. Typical pay $80k.
Starter: fastest way in
Volunteer Coordinator: Recruits, trains and schedules volunteers for a nonprofit. Typical pay $45k.
Nonprofit Program Coordinator: Runs the daily activities of a nonprofit program, like an after-school club or job training class. Typical pay $48k.
Street Fundraiser / Canvasser: Talks to people on sidewalks or door-to-door to sign up monthly donors or supporters for causes. Typical pay $35k.
Community Organizer: Brings neighbors together to push for change, like safer streets or better schools. Typical pay $45k.
Development Associate: Supports a nonprofit's fundraising team with donor records, thank-you letters and event help. Typical pay $48k.
Church / Congregation Administrator: Handles the business side of a church, synagogue or mosque: budgets, buildings, staff and events. Typical pay $52k.
Charity Thrift Store Manager: Runs a thrift store that sells donated goods to fund a charity's programs. Typical pay $47k.
Charitable Gambling Manager: Runs the legal pull-tabs, bingo, raffles and electronic games that charities like VFW posts and Lions Clubs use to raise money. Typical pay $50k.
Fraternity & Sorority Chapter Consultant: A recent college grad hired by a national fraternity or sorority to travel campus to campus coaching chapter leaders on safety, money and recruitment. Typical pay $38k.
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.