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Development director salary
Average development director salary
$107,044
Understanding Development Director Salaries
The salary of a Development Director can vary based on multiple aspects, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment. As of October 2025, the average salary is approximately $107,044 per year. This figure reflects a broad range of responsibilities, from overseeing fundraising campaigns to strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.
In terms of geographic disparities, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Major cities often provide additional earning potential, with urban areas frequently paying more than rural counterparts.
For those considering a career as a Development Director, understanding these salary dynamics is crucial. Exploring salary trends over time, and examining how they relate to specific industries, can help aspiring professionals make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Development Director earn more?
Average development director salary by state
The average development director salary in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average development director salary states are Idaho, Alaska, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for development directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $112,183 | $53.93 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $113,131 | $54.39 |
| 3 | Arizona | $113,286 | $54.46 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $123,780 | $59.51 |
| 5 | Michigan | $111,273 | $53.50 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $127,210 | $61.16 |
| 7 | Texas | $108,688 | $52.25 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $116,490 | $56.00 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $118,373 | $56.91 |
| 10 | Nevada | $108,586 | $52.20 |
| 11 | New York | $117,766 | $56.62 |
| 12 | California | $119,766 | $57.58 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $102,839 | $49.44 |
| 14 | Ohio | $106,773 | $51.33 |
| 15 | Vermont | $113,295 | $54.47 |
| 16 | Kansas | $101,048 | $48.58 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $98,156 | $47.19 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $111,925 | $53.81 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $94,244 | $45.31 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $113,419 | $54.53 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $99,906 | $48.03 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $94,789 | $45.57 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $91,397 | $43.94 |
| 24 | Virginia | $109,052 | $52.43 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $96,996 | $46.63 |
| 26 | Georgia | $96,667 | $46.47 |
| 27 | Maryland | $111,585 | $53.65 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $94,400 | $45.38 |
| 29 | Illinois | $102,679 | $49.36 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $100,994 | $48.55 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $90,333 | $43.43 |
| 32 | Alabama | $85,111 | $40.92 |
| 33 | Delaware | $100,525 | $48.33 |
| 34 | Florida | $90,986 | $43.74 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $78,834 | $37.90 |
| 36 | Indiana | $89,738 | $43.14 |
| 37 | Washington | $93,742 | $45.07 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $87,323 | $41.98 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $81,348 | $39.11 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $74,239 | $35.69 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $75,083 | $36.10 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $76,948 | $36.99 |
| 43 | Maine | $90,748 | $43.63 |
| 44 | Alaska | $75,278 | $36.19 |
| 45 | Missouri | $79,090 | $38.02 |
| 46 | Montana | $72,860 | $35.03 |
| 47 | Oregon | $86,306 | $41.49 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $69,122 | $33.23 |
| 49 | Utah | $75,380 | $36.24 |
| 50 | Colorado | $75,459 | $36.28 |
| 51 | Idaho | $75,307 | $36.21 |
Highest paying cities for development directors
The highest-paying cities for development directors are Jersey City, NJ, Boston, MA, and Redwood City, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey City, NJ | $128,710 | $61.88 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $124,859 | $60.03 |
| 3 | Redwood City, CA | $123,512 | $59.38 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $118,803 | $57.12 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $114,620 | $55.11 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $112,422 | $54.05 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $112,086 | $53.89 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $111,499 | $53.61 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $109,902 | $52.84 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $107,156 | $51.52 |
| 11 | Kansas City, KS | $103,408 | $49.72 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $103,401 | $49.71 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $103,368 | $49.70 |
| 14 | Durham, NC | $102,501 | $49.28 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $99,512 | $47.84 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $96,571 | $46.43 |
| 17 | Seattle, WA | $94,349 | $45.36 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $92,176 | $44.32 |
| 19 | Portland, ME | $91,728 | $44.10 |
| 20 | Saint Paul, MN | $90,433 | $43.48 |
Development director salary details
A development director's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $177,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a development director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $177,000 | $14,750 | $85 |
| 75th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| Average | $107,044 | $8,920 | $51 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
Highest paying development director jobs
The highest paying types of development directors are vice president of communication, development vice president, and senior development manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communications Officer | $40,161 | $3,347 | $19.31 | 73,260 |
| Campaign Manager | $78,890 | $6,574 | $37.93 | 12,293 |
| Manager Of Special Events | $56,716 | $4,726 | $27.27 | 15,818 |
| Public Relations Manager | $91,426 | $7,619 | $43.95 | 35,273 |
| Grant Manager | $60,692 | $5,058 | $29.18 | 7,726 |
| Director Of Special Events | $63,671 | $5,306 | $30.61 | 23,252 |
Top companies hiring development directors now:
Which companies pay development directors the most?
Development director salaries at Cornerstone Research and Brookfield Properties are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average development director salary at companies like Yelp and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornerstone Research | $220,788 | $106.15 |
| 2 | Brookfield Properties | $214,440 | $103.10 |
| 3 | Yelp | $207,893 | $99.95 |
| 4 | $205,114 | $98.61 | |
| 5 | Kimco Realty | $205,038 | $98.58 |
| 6 | Apple | $202,686 | $97.45 |
| 7 | Didi Chuxing | $199,522 | $95.92 |
| 8 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $193,926 | $93.23 |
| 9 | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | $193,841 | $93.19 |
| 10 | Santa Monica College | $192,641 | $92.62 |
| 11 | Zoox | $188,835 | $90.79 |
| 12 | AstraZeneca | $187,963 | $90.37 |
| 13 | $187,945 | $90.36 | |
| 14 | Mercy Corps | $187,794 | $90.29 |
| 15 | Novartis | $186,303 | $89.57 |
| 16 | CFA Institute | $186,127 | $89.48 |
| 17 | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | $185,340 | $89.11 |
| 18 | Integral Ad Science | $185,191 | $89.03 |
| 19 | Simon Property Group | $183,995 | $88.46 |
| 20 | Adobe | $183,853 | $88.39 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Development director salary trends
The average development director salary has risen by $25,143 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average development director earned $81,901 annually, but today, they earn $107,044 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for development directors over the last decade.
Compare development director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average development director salary over time
Compare development director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Development director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $107,000 | $51.46 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $103,000 | $49.45 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $101,000 | $48.44 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $97,700 | $46.96 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $94,200 | $45.29 | +3.0% |
Recently added development director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEX | Director, Dealer Development | Ocala, FL | 06/30/2025 | $104,500 |
| American Red Cross | Regional Development Director (Events, Board & Foundation Giving) | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $120,000 |
| Prologis | Director, Development | Columbus, OH | 06/30/2025 | $134,000 |
| Prologis | Director, Development Services | Dallas, TX | 06/30/2025 | $145,000 |
| Duke University | Director of Player Development, Baseball | Durham, NC | 06/29/2025 | $38,714 |
| Relativity | Director, Avionics Hardware Development | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $263,000 |
| YMCA of Delaware | Youth Development Director (Western Location) | Newark, DE | 06/29/2025 | $49,500 |
| Arthritis Foundation, Inc. | Development Director | | Cleveland, OH | 06/29/2025 | $84,000 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | Development Director | Ketchikan, AK | 06/29/2025 | $49,900 |
| Adventhealth University | Director of Development, Foundations | Orlando, FL | 06/29/2025 | $25,000 |
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