Nonprofit Community Development CEO Salary in West Virginia

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across community development 501(c)(3) nonprofits in West Virginia (with annual budgets between $1M – $3M). Based on 31 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$83,647
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$100,228
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$114,249
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
31 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · West Virginia
Census Division: South Atlantic

At $100,228, the median CEO compensation for West Virginia nonprofits in the $1M – $3M operating band sits 30% below the national benchmark ($143,276), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the South Atlantic division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $83,647 (25th percentile) and $114,249 (75th percentile).

Across this 31-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 5% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 4% – 7%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 48.4% of reporting institutions (averaging $8,171 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6(c)(2) Rebuttable Presumption Bandwidth

31 Verified Filings
P10$78,622
P25 (Safe Min)$83,647
Median (50th)$100,228
P75 (Safe Max)$114,249
P90$122,095
Legal Precedent: To secure the IRS Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness, tax-exempt governing boards must establish that approved compensation falls within market comparability bounds prior to voting. Compensation between the 25th and 75th percentiles ($83,647 – $114,249) represents the defensible interquartile standard accepted by federal regulators.

Schedule J Pay-Mix Distribution

Average component allocation across Form 990 Part VII Section A & Schedule J Part II extracts

31 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$82,091
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$8,171
48.4% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$6,081
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$7,195
100% peer coverage
Sample Size31 Matched Filings
Average Budget$2,030,356
Pay-to-Budget Ratio5% (4%–7%)
IRS Filing Vintage2022–2025 XML Extracts

Matched Form 990 Peer Organizations

Sample peer group entries matched by budget, NTEE taxonomy, and geographic cost-of-labor

Showing 3 of 31 peers
UNITED WAY OF THE EASTERN PANHANDLE
EIN: 556024725 • Metro Area, WV • Budget: $1,873,278
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
EIN: 550742377 • Metro Area, WV • Budget: $1,828,868
$•••,•••
Schedule J Locked
Reynolds Memorial Foundation Inc
EIN: 550710402 • Metro Area, WV • Budget: $1,822,727
$•••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 31 Matched Peer Filings

Generate the full, audit-ready 8-page Board Compliance Packet including individual peer line-item disclosures (Base, Bonus, Deferred, Benefits), statutory citations, and turnkey board minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical salary for a CEO at a West Virginia nonprofit with $1M – $3M?

Based on 31 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in West Virginia, the median total compensation for a CEO is $100,228. The 25th percentile sits at $83,647 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $114,249.

How does West Virginia CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $100,228, median CEO compensation in West Virginia is 30% lower than the national baseline ($143,276) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the South Atlantic division.

What percentage of operating budget should a 501(c)(3) spend on its CEO?

Across matched peer filings for $1M – $3M nonprofits, median CEO compensation represents 5% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 4% and 7% of expenditures to executive leadership.

How does Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6 protect board members approving executive compensation?

Under Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6, tax-exempt governing boards secure the Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness when they rely on independent comparability data from similarly situated peer organizations prior to voting and record the decision contemporaneously in their minutes. Once established, the legal burden shifts to the IRS to prove that compensation was excessive.