Average Foundation Director Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Foundation Director salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Foundation Director Make in United States?

A Foundation Director working in United States will typically earn around 142,100 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 71,000 USD to the highest average salary of 218,700 USD.

Average Annual Salary
142,100 USD
Average Monthly Salary
11,841 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
71,000 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,916 USD

Highest Annual Salary
218,700 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
18,225 USD

These are average salaries for a Foundation Director in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Foundation Director to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Foundation Director salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Foundation Director Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Foundation Director will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Foundation Director can earn between 71,000 USD and 218,700 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Foundation Director in United States is 142,100 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 142,100 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 142,100 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Foundation Director salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 95,400 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 95,400 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 180,500 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 180,500 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Foundation Director Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average foundation director salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Foundation Director in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 86,400 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Foundation Director salary would increase to 112,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Foundation Director, the average salary would be 151,800 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 177,200 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Foundation Director with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 191,100 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Foundation Director with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 206,700 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
86,400 USD
2-5 Years +32%
112,700 USD
5-10 Years +34%
151,800 USD
10-15 Years +19%
177,200 USD
15-20 Years +8%
191,100 USD
20+ Years +7%
206,700 USD

Foundation Director Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Foundation Director in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Foundation Director in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 107,300 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Foundation Director in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 121,800 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Foundation Director in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 163,500 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Foundation Director in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 206,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
107,300 USD
Certificate or Diploma +14%
121,800 USD
Bachelor's Degree +36%
163,500 USD
Master's Degree +26%
206,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Foundation Director Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male foundation director will earn an average of 142,300 USD, while a female foundation director will earn around 139,100 USD.

This means that a male foundation director earns approximately 2% more than a female foundation director for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
142,300 USD
Female -2%
139,100 USD

Foundation Director Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Foundation Director in United States is around 11% every 19 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 19 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Foundation Director in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Foundation Director Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Foundation Director is a high bonus based job, with 82% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

18% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 8%.

Received Bonus
82%
No Bonus
18%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Foundation Director

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Foundation Director in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Activity Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 35,000 USD
Activity Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 30,800 USD
Activity Leader Fundraising and Non Profit 60,100 USD
Adoption Specialist Fundraising and Non Profit 109,700 USD
Assistant Programme Officer Fundraising and Non Profit 61,200 USD
Campaign Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 121,800 USD
Charities Administrator Fundraising and Non Profit 69,400 USD
Charities Fundraiser Fundraising and Non Profit 74,200 USD
Civil Servant Fundraising and Non Profit 35,500 USD
Civil Service Administrator Fundraising and Non Profit 48,500 USD
Community Health Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,000 USD
Community Relations Representative Fundraising and Non Profit 51,300 USD
Community Service Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 105,800 USD
Community Volunteer Fundraising and Non Profit 29,600 USD
Community Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 27,300 USD
Custodial Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 35,600 USD
Education Planning Specialist Fundraising and Non Profit 105,800 USD
Foundation Assistant Fundraising and Non Profit 46,200 USD
Foundation Program Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 88,500 USD
Fundraiser Fundraising and Non Profit 78,200 USD
Fundraising Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 49,800 USD
Fundraising Director Fundraising and Non Profit 151,800 USD
Fundraising Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 130,400 USD
Grant Writer Fundraising and Non Profit 40,300 USD
Healthcare Social Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 34,300 USD
Homeless Shelter Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,800 USD
Major Gift Officer Fundraising and Non Profit 34,000 USD
Orphan Program Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 48,300 USD
Rehab Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 39,800 USD
Rehabilitation Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 34,800 USD
Social Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,100 USD
Sponsorship Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 46,700 USD
Volunteer Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 41,000 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 132,000 USD
Austin 156,200 USD
Baltimore 148,300 USD
Boston 153,700 USD
Bristol 123,000 USD
Chicago 176,300 USD
Cincinnati 130,500 USD
Cleveland 132,000 USD
Dallas 158,700 USD
Denver 153,800 USD
Detroit 151,800 USD
Honolulu 118,900 USD
Houston 164,100 USD
Indianapolis 157,600 USD
Iowa City 124,500 USD
Jacksonville 153,700 USD
Kansas City 140,700 USD
Kent 124,500 USD
Las Vegas 146,700 USD
Long Beach 130,500 USD
Los Angeles 172,200 USD
Memphis 146,700 USD
Miami 134,100 USD
Minneapolis 130,400 USD
New Orleans 137,100 USD
New York 176,300 USD
Oakland 130,500 USD
Oklahoma City 146,700 USD
Orlando 123,800 USD
Philadelphia 160,700 USD
Phoenix 164,100 USD
Sacramento 134,100 USD
San Antonio 160,600 USD
San Diego 166,600 USD
San Francisco 161,300 USD
San Jose 163,800 USD
Seattle 147,900 USD
Tampa 128,200 USD
Vancouver 118,900 USD
Washington D.C. 148,300 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 147,900 USD
Alaska 130,500 USD
Arizona 152,700 USD
Arkansas 142,300 USD
California 165,900 USD
Colorado 151,800 USD
Connecticut 148,300 USD
Delaware 139,100 USD
District of Columbia 124,500 USD
Florida 153,700 USD
Georgia 152,900 USD
Hawaii 130,400 USD
Idaho 132,000 USD
Illinois 158,900 USD
Indiana 153,800 USD
Iowa 140,200 USD
Kansas 142,300 USD
Kentucky 150,100 USD
Louisiana 151,800 USD
Maine 140,700 USD
Maryland 158,900 USD
Massachusetts 142,300 USD
Michigan 151,800 USD
Minnesota 142,300 USD
Mississippi 138,700 USD
Missouri 146,900 USD
Montana 130,400 USD
Nebraska 138,700 USD
Nevada 142,100 USD
New Hampshire 137,100 USD
New Jersey 160,700 USD
New Mexico 142,300 USD
New York 167,100 USD
North Carolina 150,100 USD
North Dakota 124,500 USD
Ohio 152,900 USD
Oklahoma 141,000 USD
Oregon 142,100 USD
Pennsylvania 158,900 USD
Rhode Island 130,500 USD
South Carolina 146,900 USD
South Dakota 132,000 USD
Tennessee 157,600 USD
Texas 167,100 USD
Utah 142,300 USD
Vermont 134,100 USD
Virginia 146,900 USD
Washington 146,900 USD
West Virginia 132,000 USD
Wisconsin 147,900 USD
Wyoming 123,800 USD

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