Donor Development Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Donor Development Manager make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Donor Development Manager in the United States is $100,316 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

However, a Donor Development Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $126,657
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $89,370 to $114,104
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $79,405
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
Smart Recruiting
View as table View as graph 25% $89,370 10% $79,405 90% $126,657 75% $114,104 $100,316 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Donor Development Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $114,104 $9,509 $2,194 $55
Average $100,316 $8,360 $1,929 $48
25th Percentile $89,370 $7,448 $1,719 $43
Check out Donor Development Manager Job Openings in the United States
Community Relations&amp Development Manager

HSC Central Ohio LLC - Mount Air, OH

Business Development Manager

Fanning Howey - Columbus, OH

Business Development Manager

Divisions Maintenance Group - Cincinnati, OH

Business Development Manager

Divisions Maintenance Group - Cincinnati, OH

Search More Donor Development Manager Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Donor Development Manager Salaries

A Donor Development Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Donor Development Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Donor Development Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $75,124
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $80,510
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $99,302
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $112,349
  • Expert (over 8 years): $146,935
Levels Salary
Developme... Level Donor Development Manager$75,124
Developme... Level Donor Development Manager$80,510
Donor Dev... Level Donor Development Manager$99,302
Developme... Level Donor Development Manager$112,349
Developme... Level Donor Development Manager$146,935
$75,124 0 yr
$80,510 < 2 yrs
$99,302 2-4 yrs
$112,349 5-8 yrs
$146,935 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Donor Development Manager Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Donor Development Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $111,070.
  • California: $110,649.
  • Massachusetts: $109,174.

Top Paying Cities for Donor Development Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $126,529
  • San Francisco: $125,143
  • Oakland: $122,506

What Skills Can Increase a Donor Development Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Attention to Detail (Mentioned in 3.08% Job Postings): Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.
  • Donor Relations (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): Cultivating philanthropic relationships with donors to ensure high-quality donor retention, engagement, and investment.
  • Grant Writing (Mentioned in 0.69% Job Postings): Grant writing is the practice of completing an application process for a financial grant provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation, foundation, or trust. Such application processes are often referred to as either a grant proposal or a grant submission. Successful grant writing requires a clear understanding of grantsmanship. While the principles and fundamentals of grantsmanship apply broadly, it is important to know the target and to be able to tune the language appropriately. Understanding the creation process of a grant proposal is a big part of the success in grant writing. The basic parts to the proposal creation process include: Analyzing the intended audience for the proposal Analyzing the purpose of the proposal Gathering information about the subject of the proposal Choosing the appropriate type of proposal (in this case, a grant proposal) Writing the proposal Formatting the proposal Revising, editing, and proofreading the proposal Submitting the proposal
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Attention to Detail 3.08%
Donor Relations 2.93%
Grant Writing 0.69%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Donor Development Manager's salary.
  • Partnering: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Interpersonal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Partnering
$107,338
7%
Project Management
$104,329
4%
Interpersonal Communication
$104,329
4%
Analysis
$104,329
4%
Problem Solving
$104,329
4%
Salesforce
$104,329
4%
Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Donor Development Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Donor Development Managers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Donor Development Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $108,693 and $117,338).

Donor Development Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Donor Development Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 2.7%
Associates 4.4%
Bachelors 54.9%
Masters 35.2%
Doctorate 2.0%
view as graph

Donor Development Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Donor Development Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Donor Development Manager

Salaries for a Donor Development Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $85,348 in 2023 to around $85,946 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Donor Development Manager salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Donor Development Manager Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$85,348
2024
$87,063
2025
$85,946
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $85,348
2024 $87,063
2025 $85,946
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Donor Development Manager

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Donor Development Manager

Here are companies hiring for Donor Development Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Donor Development Manager Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Donor Development Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst