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The average salary for a Chief Diversity Officer in the United States is approximately $95,991 per year. This figure varies based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, CDOs in metropolitan areas such as New York or San Francisco often earn higher salaries than those in smaller markets due to the cost of living and demand for diversity leadership.
In addition to location, the industry plays a significant role in salary differences. Sectors such as technology, finance, and healthcare tend to offer more competitive compensation packages for CDOs. Furthermore, professionals with advanced degrees or specialized training in diversity and inclusion are likely to command higher salaries.
To maximize earning potential, aspiring CDOs should consider pursuing roles in organizations that prioritize diversity initiatives. Networking with industry leaders and obtaining relevant certifications can also enhance job prospects and salary opportunities. Ultimately, the role of a CDO is crucial in shaping inclusive environments, and understanding salary dynamics can help candidates make informed career decisions.
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The highest-paying states for chief diversity officers are New Jersey, Nevada, and California. The lowest average chief diversity officer salary states are Kentucky, Tennessee, and Maine.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $119,062 | $57.24 |
| 2 | New York | $116,418 | $55.97 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $120,894 | $58.12 |
| 4 | Maryland | $115,975 | $55.76 |
| 5 | Washington | $110,586 | $53.17 |
| 6 | Arizona | $97,974 | $47.10 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $106,850 | $51.37 |
| 8 | Colorado | $99,479 | $47.83 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $108,108 | $51.98 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $97,850 | $47.04 |
| 11 | Virginia | $97,746 | $46.99 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $99,637 | $47.90 |
| 13 | Texas | $98,319 | $47.27 |
| 14 | California | $117,187 | $56.34 |
| 15 | Ohio | $103,907 | $49.96 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $91,764 | $44.12 |
| 17 | Delaware | $107,033 | $51.46 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $94,528 | $45.45 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $89,858 | $43.20 |
| 20 | Missouri | $96,858 | $46.57 |
| 21 | Oregon | $95,890 | $46.10 |
| 22 | Alaska | $97,193 | $46.73 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $86,292 | $41.49 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $87,599 | $42.11 |
| 25 | Alabama | $81,739 | $39.30 |
| 26 | Iowa | $83,990 | $40.38 |
| 27 | Michigan | $86,354 | $41.52 |
| 28 | Illinois | $89,015 | $42.80 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $78,963 | $37.96 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $82,387 | $39.61 |
| 31 | Georgia | $81,729 | $39.29 |
| 32 | Florida | $77,554 | $37.29 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $82,742 | $39.78 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $81,036 | $38.96 |
| 35 | Idaho | $71,989 | $34.61 |
| 36 | Vermont | $74,448 | $35.79 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $78,503 | $37.74 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $75,795 | $36.44 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $79,215 | $38.08 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $73,955 | $35.56 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $73,021 | $35.11 |
| 42 | Maine | $67,469 | $32.44 |
| 43 | Montana | $78,344 | $37.67 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $81,430 | $39.15 |
| 45 | Indiana | $72,369 | $34.79 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $54,202 | $26.06 |
| 47 | Utah | $74,140 | $35.64 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $54,511 | $26.21 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $70,181 | $33.74 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $68,111 | $32.75 |
| 51 | Kansas | $66,542 | $31.99 |
The highest-paying cities for chief diversity officers are San Francisco, CA, Hackensack, NJ, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $120,989 | $58.17 |
| 2 | Hackensack, NJ | $120,873 | $58.11 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $116,601 | $56.06 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $111,199 | $53.46 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $108,106 | $51.97 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $103,705 | $49.86 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $99,518 | $47.85 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $99,476 | $47.83 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $98,728 | $47.47 |
| 10 | Arlington, VA | $98,614 | $47.41 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $98,096 | $47.16 |
| 12 | Las Cruces, NM | $97,460 | $46.86 |
| 13 | Providence, RI | $91,726 | $44.10 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $89,712 | $43.13 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $89,133 | $42.85 |
| 16 | Grand Rapids, MI | $86,044 | $41.37 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $82,940 | $39.88 |
| 18 | Fayetteville, NC | $80,833 | $38.86 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $73,263 | $35.22 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $72,397 | $34.81 |
A chief diversity officer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $139,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $95,991 | $7,999 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
The highest paying types of chief diversity officers are president/chief executive officer, president & chief operating officer, and senior vice president.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice President, Business Development | $165,159 | $13,763 | $79.40 | 188,137 |
| Owner | $90,334 | $7,528 | $43.43 | 86,486 |
| Board Member | $70,751 | $5,896 | $34.01 | 7,581 |
| Co-Founder | $105,022 | $8,752 | $50.49 | 4,214 |
| Co-Owner | $86,704 | $7,225 | $41.68 | 52,915 |
| Vice President | $158,637 | $13,220 | $76.27 | 119,530 |
Top companies hiring chief diversity officers now:
Chief diversity officer salaries at McKinsey & Company Inc and Marshall Gerstein are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chief diversity officer salary at companies like Brigham and Women's Hospital and Morgan Stanley are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $130,537 | $62.76 |
| 2 | Marshall Gerstein | $118,740 | $57.09 |
| 3 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $114,967 | $55.27 |
| 4 | Morgan Stanley | $113,797 | $54.71 |
| 5 | Discovery | $107,682 | $51.77 |
| 6 | Icma-rc | $107,098 | $51.49 |
| 7 | Skidmore College | $105,171 | $50.56 |
| 8 | SUNY Morrisville | $104,396 | $50.19 |
| 9 | Stanford University | $101,925 | $49.00 |
| 10 | California Polytechnic State University | $101,856 | $48.97 |
| 11 | Warner Bros. | $101,052 | $48.58 |
| 12 | KQED | $97,658 | $46.95 |
| 13 | California State University | $96,695 | $46.49 |
| 14 | University of California | $94,300 | $45.34 |
| 15 | New York City Independent Budget Office | $93,902 | $45.15 |
| 16 | EisnerAmper | $93,451 | $44.93 |
| 17 | University of California-Berkeley | $93,327 | $44.87 |
| 18 | UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS | $93,245 | $44.83 |
| 19 | Rock Ridge Financial | $92,319 | $44.38 |
| 20 | Colorado State Express | $92,319 | $44.38 |
The average chief diversity officer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $125,410 | $60.29 |
| 2 | Government | $94,599 | $45.48 |
| 3 | Retail | $92,125 | $44.29 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $91,312 | $43.90 |
| 5 | Health Care | $88,767 | $42.68 |
| 6 | Education | $83,206 | $40.00 |
The average chief diversity officer salary has risen by $9,829 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chief diversity officer earned $86,162 annually, but today, they earn $95,991 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for chief diversity officers over the last decade.
Compare chief diversity officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare chief diversity officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,000 | $46.15 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $95,200 | $45.78 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | $97,900 | $47.06 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $94,600 | $45.48 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $93,500 | $44.97 | +3.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City and County of San Francisco | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer-Sfpuc) | San Francisco, CA | 06/13/2025 | $189,878 |
| The Legal Aid Society | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | New York, NY | 06/11/2025 | $180,000 |
| City University of New York | Chief Diversity Officer-Revised | New York, NY | 05/21/2025 | $124,656 |
| The Legal Aid Society | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | New York, NY | 03/27/2025 | $180,000 |
| Cuny | Chief Diversity Officer-Heo (Revised) | New York, NY | 03/19/2025 | $136,546 |
| City & County of Denver, Co | Adult Diversion Officer | Denver, CO | 03/15/2025 | $53,185 |
| The Legal Aid Society | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | New York, NY | 02/19/2025 | $180,000 |
| California State University | Vice President of Equity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer | Northridge, OH | 02/19/2025 | $245,000 |
| Csun Vove | Vice President of Equity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer | Northridge, OH | 02/19/2025 | $245,000 |
| City University of New York | Chief Diversity Officer | New York, NY | 02/12/2025 | $129,310 |
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