Nonprofit Healthcare CEO Salary in Montana

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across healthcare 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Montana (with annual budgets between $3M – $5M). Based on 27 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$123,984
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$148,651
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$156,543
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
27 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · Montana
Census Division: Mountain

At $148,651, the median CEO compensation for Montana nonprofits in the $3M – $5M operating band sits 29.3% below the national benchmark ($210,330), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the Mountain division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $123,984 (25th percentile) and $156,543 (75th percentile).

Across this 27-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 3% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 3% – 4%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 100% of reporting institutions (averaging $9,824 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

27 Verified Filings
P10$104,106
P25 (Safe Min)$123,984
Median (50th)$148,651
P75 (Safe Max)$156,543
P90$168,273
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 ($123,984 – $156,543) 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

27 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$114,385
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$9,824
100% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$8,469
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$5,646
100% peer coverage
Sample Size27 Matched Filings
Average Budget$4,544,636
Pay-to-Budget Ratio3% (3%–4%)
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 27 peers
INDIAN FAMILY HEALTH CLINIC OF GREAT FALLS INC
EIN: 810542869 • Metro Area, MT • Budget: $4,093,373
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
WHITEFISH COMMUNITY AQUATIC & HEALTH CENTER
EIN: 810495124 • Metro Area, MT • Budget: $3,902,796
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
KALISPELL REGIONAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
EIN: 311703013 • Metro Area, MT • Budget: $3,902,707
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 27 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 Montana nonprofit with $3M – $5M?

Based on 27 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in Montana, the median total compensation for a CEO is $148,651. The 25th percentile sits at $123,984 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $156,543.

How does Montana CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $148,651, median CEO compensation in Montana is 29.3% lower than the national baseline ($210,330) 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 $3M – $5M nonprofits, median CEO compensation represents 3% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 3% and 4% 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.