Nonprofit Community Development CEO Salary in New Mexico

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across community development 501(c)(3) nonprofits in New Mexico (with annual budgets between Under $1M). Based on 32 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$55,175
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$56,884
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$64,928
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
32 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · New Mexico
Census Division: Mountain

At $56,884, the median CEO compensation for New Mexico nonprofits in the Under $1M operating band sits 46.5% below the national benchmark ($106,330), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the Mountain division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $55,175 (25th percentile) and $64,928 (75th percentile).

Across this 32-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 13% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 10% – 13%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 0% of reporting institutions (averaging $0 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

32 Verified Filings
P10$51,571
P25 (Safe Min)$55,175
Median (50th)$56,884
P75 (Safe Max)$64,928
P90$71,297
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 ($55,175 – $64,928) 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

32 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$48,595
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$0
0% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$3,600
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$6,599
100% peer coverage
Sample Size32 Matched Filings
Average Budget$522,947
Pay-to-Budget Ratio13% (10%–13%)
IRS Filing Vintage2021–2025 XML Extracts

Matched Form 990 Peer Organizations

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

Showing 3 of 32 peers
NEW MEXICO CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION DBA NCF SOUTHWEST
EIN: 850466529 • Metro Area, NM • Budget: $609,266
$•••,•••
Schedule J Locked
FELICIDAD FOUNDATION
EIN: 850236029 • Metro Area, NM • Budget: $546,602
$•••,•••
Schedule J Locked
Equality New Mexico Foundation
EIN: 850417115 • Metro Area, NM • Budget: $543,507
$•••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 32 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 New Mexico nonprofit with Under $1M?

Based on 32 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in New Mexico, the median total compensation for a CEO is $56,884. The 25th percentile sits at $55,175 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $64,928.

How does New Mexico CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $56,884, median CEO compensation in New Mexico is 46.5% lower than the national baseline ($106,330) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the Mountain division.

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

Across matched peer filings for Under $1M nonprofits, median CEO compensation represents 13% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 10% and 13% 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.