SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Organize activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for an organization. May design and produce promotional materials. May also raise awareness of the organization’s work, goals, and financial needs.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 13-1131.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,630 | $3,886 | $897 | $22.42 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $57,480 | $4,790 | $1,105 | $27.63 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $72,550 | $6,046 | $1,395 | $34.88 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $92,180 | $7,682 | $1,773 | $44.32 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $115,820 | $9,652 | $2,227 | $55.68 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Fundraisers is $72,550, which is 42% higher. Among the 32 occupations of the field Business and Financial Operations, it ranks number 25 by median pay. With 111,040 jobs, it makes up about 7.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Fundraisers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($80,840), New York ($80,540) and Maryland ($79,780). The lowest was in Arkansas ($50,190), Puerto Rico ($52,090) and West Virginia ($54,760). The most jobs were in California (12,860), New York (11,600) and Pennsylvania (6,180). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 4.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 2,350 | $80,840 | $90,400 | $38.87 |
| New York | 11,600 | $80,540 | $87,530 | $38.72 |
| Maryland | 2,010 | $79,780 | $83,110 | $38.36 |
| California | 12,860 | $79,710 | $86,320 | $38.32 |
| Massachusetts | 6,160 | $79,060 | $84,270 | $38.01 |
| Washington | 3,870 | $79,000 | $82,380 | $37.98 |
| Connecticut | 1,350 | $77,730 | $81,530 | $37.37 |
| New Jersey | 1,950 | $77,170 | $83,810 | $37.10 |
| Minnesota | 3,190 | $76,910 | $81,020 | $36.98 |
| North Dakota | 340 | $76,040 | $81,800 | $36.56 |
| Rhode Island | 1,000 | $75,410 | $79,450 | $36.25 |
| Colorado | 2,470 | $74,440 | $79,870 | $35.79 |
| Virginia | 4,010 | $72,610 | $77,860 | $34.91 |
| Vermont | 510 | $72,530 | $75,710 | $34.87 |
| Louisiana | 330 | $72,030 | $70,870 | $34.63 |
| Georgia | 2,690 | $72,010 | $74,650 | $34.62 |
| Wyoming | 90 | $71,310 | $75,390 | $34.28 |
| Delaware | 320 | $71,250 | $74,760 | $34.26 |
| Nevada | 310 | $68,530 | $70,710 | $32.95 |
| Kentucky | 1,030 | $68,270 | $70,990 | $32.82 |
| Nebraska | 770 | $68,030 | $73,700 | $32.71 |
| South Dakota | 80 | $66,800 | $75,190 | $32.11 |
| Maine | 930 | $66,790 | $71,500 | $32.11 |
| Illinois | 4,470 | $66,440 | $71,500 | $31.94 |
| New Hampshire | 810 | $66,260 | $74,630 | $31.86 |
| Indiana | 2,080 | $66,250 | $71,050 | $31.85 |
| Michigan | 3,170 | $66,130 | $70,250 | $31.79 |
| North Carolina | 3,700 | $66,100 | $72,490 | $31.78 |
| Wisconsin | 2,130 | $65,880 | $70,170 | $31.67 |
| New Mexico | 330 | $65,440 | $68,540 | $31.46 |
| Kansas | 1,100 | $64,820 | $69,870 | $31.16 |
| Florida | not published | $64,390 | $78,030 | $30.96 |
| Arizona | 1,580 | $64,180 | $69,500 | $30.85 |
| Ohio | 3,460 | $64,080 | $70,970 | $30.81 |
| Oregon | 2,090 | $64,080 | $70,970 | $30.81 |
| Oklahoma | 950 | $63,950 | $70,200 | $30.74 |
| Iowa | 1,230 | $63,930 | $71,680 | $30.74 |
| Missouri | 1,670 | $63,860 | $69,280 | $30.70 |
| Hawaii | 440 | $63,750 | $67,390 | $30.65 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,180 | $63,730 | $70,570 | $30.64 |
| Alaska | 290 | $62,750 | $67,330 | $30.17 |
| South Carolina | 1,200 | $62,720 | $71,390 | $30.16 |
| Utah | 920 | $61,820 | $67,740 | $29.72 |
| Tennessee | 1,930 | $61,370 | $65,540 | $29.51 |
| Montana | 700 | $61,280 | $64,490 | $29.46 |
| Idaho | 380 | $61,150 | $69,140 | $29.40 |
| Texas | 4,020 | $60,320 | $64,270 | $29.00 |
| Alabama | 1,120 | $60,120 | $61,260 | $28.90 |
| Mississippi | 230 | $57,610 | $68,330 | $27.70 |
| West Virginia | 260 | $54,760 | $55,790 | $26.33 |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | $52,090 | $52,450 | $25.04 |
| Arkansas | 360 | $50,190 | $52,850 | $24.13 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents$77,710 a year
- Loan Officers$76,690 a year
- Human Resources Specialists$75,940 a year
- Training and Development Specialists$69,280 a year
- Property Appraisers and Assessors$67,960 a year
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents$62,370 a year
Common questions
How much do Fundraisers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $72,550 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,630 and the highest-paid 10% more than $115,820.
How many people work as Fundraisers?
About 111,040 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.