Nonprofit Healthcare CEO Salary in Wisconsin

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

25th Percentile
$88,349
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$98,401
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$111,004
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
32 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · Wisconsin
Census Division: East North Central

At $98,401, the median CEO compensation for Wisconsin nonprofits in the $1M – $3M operating band sits 41% below the national benchmark ($166,668), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the East North Central division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $88,349 (25th percentile) and $111,004 (75th percentile).

Across this 32-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 6% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 5% – 6%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 43.8% of reporting institutions (averaging $7,893 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

32 Verified Filings
P10$81,967
P25 (Safe Min)$88,349
Median (50th)$98,401
P75 (Safe Max)$111,004
P90$116,599
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 ($88,349 – $111,004) 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
$81,478
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$7,893
43.8% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$6,032
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$7,559
100% peer coverage
Sample Size32 Matched Filings
Average Budget$1,885,504
Pay-to-Budget Ratio6% (5%–6%)
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 32 peers
LAKE AREA FREE CLINIC INC
EIN: 392006388 • Metro Area, WI • Budget: $1,969,516
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
LA CROSSE MEDICAL HEALTH SCIENCE CONSORTIUM INC
EIN: 391804725 • Metro Area, WI • Budget: $2,066,936
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
MILE BLUFF MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION INC
EIN: 271865510 • Metro Area, WI • Budget: $1,902,789
$1••,•••
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 Wisconsin nonprofit with $1M – $3M?

Based on 32 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in Wisconsin, the median total compensation for a CEO is $98,401. The 25th percentile sits at $88,349 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $111,004.

How does Wisconsin CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $98,401, median CEO compensation in Wisconsin is 41% lower than the national baseline ($166,668) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the East North Central 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 6% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 5% and 6% 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.