NRDC salaries

Q: What is the starting pay at NRDC?

The starting pay at NRDC is $46,000 per year, or $22.12 per hour.

Q: How much does NRDC pay an hour?

NRDC pays $37.77 an hour, on average.

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NRDC salary estimate

$78,564yearly

$37.77 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$46,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding NRDC Salaries

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is known for its commitment to environmental protection and advocacy. In 2025, the average salary at NRDC is $78,564. This figure reflects a range of roles, from entry-level positions to senior management. Salaries may differ based on factors such as department and geographic location. For instance, marketing and policy roles often command higher salaries due to their impact on the organization’s mission.

Highest Paying Positions

Top salaries at NRDC can be found in specialized roles, including legal experts and senior project managers. These positions not only offer competitive pay but also provide opportunities for professional growth and influence within the environmental sector.

Salary by Location

Salary levels can also vary significantly across different states. Understanding these variations helps potential employees gauge their earning potential based on where they choose to work.

Highest paying jobs at NRDC

The highest paying jobs at NRDC are managing director, corporate counsel, media director, and manager, strategy. Managing director jobs at NRDC earn an average yearly salary of $185,808, NRDC corporate counsel jobs average $134,679, and NRDC media director jobs average $133,248.

The lowest paying NRDC roles include receptionist and advocate. NRDC receptionist average salary is $40,388 per year. So while the average NRDC salary is $78,564 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at NRDC

Rank	Job title	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Managing Director	$185,808	$89.33
2	Corporate Counsel	$134,679	$64.75
3	Media Director	$133,248	$64.06
4	Manager, Strategy	$105,782	$50.86
5	Marketing Administrator	$98,382	$47.30
6	Staff Scientist	$97,003	$46.64
7	Press Secretary	$96,687	$46.48
8	Campaign Manager	$96,671	$46.48
9	Soil Scientist	$92,187	$44.32
10	Communications Manager	$88,471	$42.53
11	Campaigner	$85,211	$40.97
12	Human Resource Specialist	$85,056	$40.89
13	Policy Analyst	$84,516	$40.63
14	Social Media Strategist	$83,542	$40.16
15	Senior Attorney	$83,434	$40.11
16	Consultant	$82,940	$39.88
17	Writer	$82,597	$39.71
18	Copy Editor	$82,161	$39.50
19	Senior Finance Analyst	$81,953	$39.40
20	Human Resources Generalist	$81,539	$39.20

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Average NRDC salary by state

NRDC pays the highest salaries in District of Columbia due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

Rank	State	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	District of Columbia	$92,471	$44.46
2	California	$87,418	$42.03
3	New York	$87,047	$41.85
4	Illinois	$79,339	$38.14
5	Montana	$67,669	$32.53

How much does NRDC pay by location?

The average NRDC salary varies by location. NRDC salaries are the highest in Washington, DC, at $92,608 per year. NRDC pays the second highest average salary in San Francisco, CA, at $87,255 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying NRDC locations

Rank	Location	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$92,608	$44.52
2	San Francisco, CA	$87,255	$41.95
3	New York, NY	$87,129	$41.89
4	Chicago, IL	$79,347	$38.15
5	Bozeman, MT	$67,670	$32.53

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NRDC salaries by department

Salaries at NRDC vary depending on the department you work in. NRDC salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $146,568. Employees in the business development department at NRDC receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $113,875 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at NRDC include the administrative and the non profit/government organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $52,945 and $57,903, respectively.

Average NRDC salary by department

Rank	Department	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Corporate Management	$146,568	$70.47
2	Business Development	$113,875	$54.75
3	IT	$100,557	$48.34
4	Marketing	$93,404	$44.91
5	Engineering	$88,347	$42.47
6	Finance	$87,068	$41.86
7	Legal	$85,754	$41.23
8	Research & Development	$84,045	$40.41
9	Art/Design	$79,637	$38.29
10	Accounting	$76,339	$36.70
11	Human Resources	$73,037	$35.11
12	Non Profit/Government	$57,903	$27.84
13	Administrative	$52,946	$25.45

How much does NRDC pay by department?

Best paying NRDC marketing salaries

Rank	Position	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Media Director	$133,248	$64.06
2	Content Director	$119,761	$57.58
3	Senior Writer	$104,635	$50.31
4	Senior Advocate	$100,791	$48.46
5	Marketing Administrator	$98,382	$47.30
6	Major Gifts Officer	$97,759	$47.00
7	Press Secretary	$96,687	$46.48
8	Campaign Manager	$96,671	$46.48
9	Communications Manager	$88,471	$42.53
10	Campaigner	$85,211	$40.97
11	Social Media Strategist	$83,542	$40.16
12	Development Associate	$80,672	$38.78
13	Sustainability Internship	$68,565	$32.96
14	Development Assistant	$61,267	$29.46
15	Major Donor Coordinator	$60,062	$28.88
16	Communication Assistant	$52,270	$25.13
17	Communications Internship	$51,455	$24.74

Best paying NRDC non profit/government salaries

Rank	Position	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Fundraising Director	$106,929	$51.41
2	Senior Advocate	$100,791	$48.46
3	Fire Officer	$84,334	$40.55
4	Program Coordinator	$65,046	$31.27
5	Program Assistant	$52,157	$25.08

Best paying NRDC legal salaries

Rank	Position	Average NRDC salary	Hourly rate
1	Corporate Counsel	$134,679	$64.75
2	Senior Attorney	$83,434	$40.11
3	Legal Extern	$79,863	$38.40
4	Law Clerk	$79,287	$38.12
5	Associate Partner	$75,786	$36.44
6	Litigation Assistant	$65,272	$31.38

Recently added NRDC salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Power Your Community VA Campaign Organizer	Washington, DC	06/25/2025	$113,000
Managing Director, Campaigns	Washington, DC	06/25/2025	$200,000
Media Associate	San Francisco, CA	06/20/2025	$68,000
Carbon Management Specialist	Washington, DC	06/19/2025	$130,000
Senior Advocate, Adaptation	Washington, DC	06/12/2025	$130,000

Frequently asked questions about NRDC salaries

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How much does NRDC pay an hour?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of NRDC, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about NRDC. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at NRDC. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by NRDC. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of NRDC and its employees or that of Zippia.

NRDC may also be known as or be related to NRDC, Natural Resources Defense Council, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Natural Resources Defense Council Inc, Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. and Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.