Nonprofit Human Services CFO Salary in Alabama

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CFO positions across human services 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Alabama (with annual budgets between $25M – $50M). Based on 29 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$204,844
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$232,778
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$261,444
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
29 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · Alabama
Census Division: East South Central

At $232,778, the median CFO compensation for Alabama nonprofits in the $25M – $50M operating band sits 24.5% below the national benchmark ($308,320), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the East South Central division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $204,844 (25th percentile) and $261,444 (75th percentile).

Across this 29-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 1% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 1% – 1%). Base salary represents an average of 85% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 100% of reporting institutions (averaging $11,852 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

29 Verified Filings
P10$191,252
P25 (Safe Min)$204,844
Median (50th)$232,778
P75 (Safe Max)$261,444
P90$293,985
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 ($204,844 – $261,444) 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

29 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$201,478
85% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$11,852
100% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$11,852
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$11,852
100% peer coverage
Sample Size29 Matched Filings
Average Budget$32,395,845
Pay-to-Budget Ratio1% (1%–1%)
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 29 peers
ST VINCENTS BLOUNT
EIN: 630909073 • Metro Area, AL • Budget: $33,471,464
$2••,•••
Schedule J Locked
AIDS ACTION COALITION OF HUNTSVILLE
EIN: 570889447 • Metro Area, AL • Budget: $33,005,922
$2••,•••
Schedule J Locked
Food Bank of North Alabama Inc
EIN: 630884372 • Metro Area, AL • Budget: $37,062,766
$2••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 29 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 CFO at a Alabama nonprofit with $25M – $50M?

Based on 29 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in Alabama, the median total compensation for a CFO is $232,778. The 25th percentile sits at $204,844 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $261,444.

How does Alabama CFO pay compare to national averages?

At $232,778, median CFO compensation in Alabama is 24.5% lower than the national baseline ($308,320) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the East South Central division.

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

Across matched peer filings for $25M – $50M nonprofits, median CFO compensation represents 1% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 1% and 1% 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.