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ExemptPay.com
Set pay with the market

Setting a new hire’s pay? See what comparable nonprofits actually pay.

Setting compensation without market data is a governance risk. See what comparable organizations pay their leaders — filtered by budget size, geography, and role — using 3.27 million IRS Form 990 records.

Reports from $149 · minutes, not weeks

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3.27M
Compensation records from IRS Form 990 filings
330,000+
Filing organizations across all 50 states
P25–P75
Percentile ranges for every title you look up
Why market data first

“What should we pay?” is a data question before it’s a judgment call.

Most compensation decisions still start from last year’s figure plus a cost-of-living bump. That anchors pay to history, not the market — and it leaves the board without a defensible basis if the number is ever questioned.

The better starting point is what comparable organizations actually pay. Because every 501(c)(3) discloses leadership compensation on its Form 990, that market already exists in public data — it just needs to be matched to peers your size, in your region, doing similar work.

ExemptPay does that matching. You see the median and the spread for a role, segmented by the factors that actually move pay, so “fair” becomes a number you can point to rather than a feeling.

5×
An Executive Director’s median pay can differ more than fivefold between the smallest and largest budget bands. Matching peers by size isn’t a nicety — it’s the whole game.

Three factors decide the range. Filter on all three.

01
Budget size
The single strongest driver. Median leadership pay scales sharply with organizational revenue — compare within your band, not the national average.
02
Geography
Local labor markets and cost of living move the number. The same role can sit 15–20% above or below national depending on the state.
03
Mission area
Healthcare, education, and social-service organizations carry different pay norms. NTEE-based matching keeps the comparison honest.
How it works

From your numbers to a board-ready file in three steps.

1
Enter your details
Title, total compensation, state, and budget size. Your EIN auto-fills the rest.
2
We find your peers
Matched against 3.27M compensation records from IRS Form 990 filings by budget, geography, and mission.
3
Get your report
A board-ready PDF with benchmarks, variance analysis, and minutes-ready discussion language.
Free, right now
The market picture
•Median & percentile ranges by title, budget band, and state
•Sample size on every benchmark you view
•A directional read on where a number sits in the market
In the report · from $149
Your defensible case
✓Your compensation placed against a matched peer group
✓Compa-ratio, position-in-range, and full P10–P90 detail
✓Traffic-light variance signals for every position
✓Rebuttable-presumption (§4958) checklist, ready for your minutes
✓Board discussion language your secretary can paste in
✓Board deck & discussion guide on the Governance tier
See a sample report →
Frequently asked

Nonprofit salary benchmarks, explained.

Where does ExemptPay’s nonprofit salary data come from?+
All data comes from IRS Form 990 filings. Schedule J Part II contains detailed compensation breakdowns; Part VII Section A provides summary compensation for officers, directors, and highest-compensated employees. No surveys, no self-reported figures.
How is nonprofit executive compensation typically structured?+
Form 990 reports base compensation, bonus and incentive pay, other reportable compensation, retirement and deferred compensation, nontaxable benefits, and other compensation. ExemptPay shows both total reportable and total compensation including benefits.
What factors affect nonprofit executive pay levels?+
Budget size, geographic location, and mission area are the primary drivers. ExemptPay lets you filter by all three so your comparison reflects organizations genuinely like yours.
How many nonprofits are required to file Form 990?+
Most tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts over $200,000 or total assets over $500,000. ExemptPay covers 330,000+ filing organizations.
Can I explore benchmarks before buying a report?+
Yes. You can look up any leadership title and see market medians and ranges for free — no account required. The paid report adds your organization’s position and the governance documentation.

Related resources

990 compensation defense
Put your public 990 compensation in context with peer benchmarks.
Board compensation challenge
How to respond when a board member questions executive pay.
Compensation documentation
Generate documentation with peer benchmarks and board-ready language.
See a sample report
Preview the Board Confidence Report format before you buy.

Anchor your next offer to the market, not last year’s number.

Board-ready reports from $149. Less than a single consultant hour.

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