Nonprofit Healthcare CEO Salary in Iowa

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across healthcare 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Iowa (with annual budgets between $3M – $5M). Based on 32 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$111,742
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$134,713
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$156,568
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
32 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · Iowa
Census Division: West North Central

At $134,713, the median CEO compensation for Iowa nonprofits in the $3M – $5M operating band sits 36% below the national benchmark ($210,330), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the West North Central division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $111,742 (25th percentile) and $156,568 (75th percentile).

Across this 32-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 4% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 3% – 5%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 100% of reporting institutions (averaging $9,425 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

32 Verified Filings
P10$103,990
P25 (Safe Min)$111,742
Median (50th)$134,713
P75 (Safe Max)$156,568
P90$164,544
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 ($111,742 – $156,568) 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
$109,618
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$9,425
100% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$8,117
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$5,411
100% peer coverage
Sample Size32 Matched Filings
Average Budget$4,160,793
Pay-to-Budget Ratio4% (3%–5%)
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
NORTHEAST IOWA MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
EIN: 420782523 • Metro Area, IA • Budget: $3,530,147
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
TRINITY HEALTH SYSTEMS INC
EIN: 421222877 • Metro Area, IA • Budget: $3,381,525
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
ZION INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
EIN: 421012435 • Metro Area, IA • Budget: $4,758,243
$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 Iowa nonprofit with $3M – $5M?

Based on 32 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in Iowa, the median total compensation for a CEO is $134,713. The 25th percentile sits at $111,742 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $156,568.

How does Iowa CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $134,713, median CEO compensation in Iowa is 36% lower than the national baseline ($210,330) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the West North Central division.

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

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