Nonprofit Youth Development CEO Salary in South Carolina

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

25th Percentile
$85,438
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$98,750
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$112,772
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
31 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · South Carolina
Census Division: South Atlantic

At $98,750, the median CEO compensation for South Carolina nonprofits in the $1M – $3M operating band sits 27.4% below the national benchmark ($135,966), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the South Atlantic division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $85,438 (25th percentile) and $112,772 (75th percentile).

Across this 31-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 5% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 5% – 7%). Base salary represents an average of 81.1% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 41.9% of reporting institutions (averaging $8,306 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

31 Verified Filings
P10$78,406
P25 (Safe Min)$85,438
Median (50th)$98,750
P75 (Safe Max)$112,772
P90$120,819
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 ($85,438 – $112,772) 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
$83,063
81.1% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$8,306
41.9% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$6,148
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$7,722
100% peer coverage
Sample Size31 Matched Filings
Average Budget$1,957,773
Pay-to-Budget Ratio5% (5%–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
BLUE RIDGE COUNCIL INC BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
EIN: 570314427 • Metro Area, SC • Budget: $1,978,703
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
INDIAN WATERS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA INC
EIN: 570314440 • Metro Area, SC • Budget: $2,036,163
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF SC INC
EIN: 570567186 • Metro Area, SC • Budget: $2,059,131
$1••,•••
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 South Carolina nonprofit with $1M – $3M?

Based on 31 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in South Carolina, the median total compensation for a CEO is $98,750. The 25th percentile sits at $85,438 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $112,772.

How does South Carolina CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $98,750, median CEO compensation in South Carolina is 27.4% lower than the national baseline ($135,966) 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 5% 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.