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Chief diversity officer salary

Average chief diversity officer salary

$95,991

$46.15 hourly rate

Entry-level chief diversity officer salary
$65,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Chief Diversity Officer Salaries

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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Where can a Chief Diversity Officer earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$120,989
Indianapolis, IN$72,397
Compare salary by company
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McKinsey & Company Inc$130,537
Colorado State Express$92,319

Chief diversity officer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and SalaryExpert, the average salary for a chief diversity officer typically falls between $95,991 and $176,320.
zippia
$95,991yearly
glassdoor[1]
$176,320yearly
indeed[2]
$127,383yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$151,203yearly
SalaryExpert[4]
$143,119yearly

Average chief diversity officer salary by state

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.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for chief diversity officers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Nevada$119,062$57.24
2New York$116,418$55.97
3New Jersey$120,894$58.12
4Maryland$115,975$55.76
5Washington$110,586$53.17
6Arizona$97,974$47.10
7Connecticut$106,850$51.37
8Colorado$99,479$47.83
9District of Columbia$108,108$51.98
10New Mexico$97,850$47.04
11Virginia$97,746$46.99
12Massachusetts$99,637$47.90
13Texas$98,319$47.27
14California$117,187$56.34
15Ohio$103,907$49.96
16Rhode Island$91,764$44.12
17Delaware$107,033$51.46
18Minnesota$94,528$45.45
19Wisconsin$89,858$43.20
20Missouri$96,858$46.57
21Oregon$95,890$46.10
22Alaska$97,193$46.73
23Nebraska$86,292$41.49
24Louisiana$87,599$42.11
25Alabama$81,739$39.30
26Iowa$83,990$40.38
27Michigan$86,354$41.52
28Illinois$89,015$42.80
29North Dakota$78,963$37.96
30West Virginia$82,387$39.61
31Georgia$81,729$39.29
32Florida$77,554$37.29
33Pennsylvania$82,742$39.78
34North Carolina$81,036$38.96
35Idaho$71,989$34.61
36Vermont$74,448$35.79
37New Hampshire$78,503$37.74
38South Dakota$75,795$36.44
39Wyoming$79,215$38.08
40South Carolina$73,955$35.56
41Oklahoma$73,021$35.11
42Maine$67,469$32.44
43Montana$78,344$37.67
44Hawaii$81,430$39.15
45Indiana$72,369$34.79
46Mississippi$54,202$26.06
47Utah$74,140$35.64
48Arkansas$54,511$26.21
49Kentucky$70,181$33.74
50Tennessee$68,111$32.75
51Kansas$66,542$31.99

Highest paying cities for chief diversity officers

The highest-paying cities for chief diversity officers are San Francisco, CA, Hackensack, NJ, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$120,989$58.17
2Hackensack, NJ$120,873$58.11
3New York, NY$116,601$56.06
4Seattle, WA$111,199$53.46
5Washington, DC$108,106$51.97
6Columbus, OH$103,705$49.86
7Denver, CO$99,518$47.85
8Boston, MA$99,476$47.83
9Dallas, TX$98,728$47.47
10Arlington, VA$98,614$47.41
11Phoenix, AZ$98,096$47.16
12Las Cruces, NM$97,460$46.86
13Providence, RI$91,726$44.10
14Madison, WI$89,712$43.13
15Chicago, IL$89,133$42.85
16Grand Rapids, MI$86,044$41.37
17Philadelphia, PA$82,940$39.88
18Fayetteville, NC$80,833$38.86
19Oklahoma City, OK$73,263$35.22
20Indianapolis, IN$72,397$34.81

Chief diversity officer salary details

A chief diversity officer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $139,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average chief diversity officer salary graph
Average chief diversity officer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a chief diversity officer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly 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

Highest paying chief diversity officer jobs

The highest paying types of chief diversity officers are president/chief executive officer, president & chief operating officer, and senior vice president.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Vice President, Business Development$165,159$13,763$79.40188,137
Owner$90,334$7,528$43.4386,486
Board Member$70,751$5,896$34.017,581
Co-Founder$105,022$8,752$50.494,214
Co-Owner$86,704$7,225$41.6852,915
Vice President$158,637$13,220$76.27119,530

Top companies hiring chief diversity officers now:

  1. Merck jobs (2)
  2. Icma-rc jobs (2)
  3. Skidmore College jobs (2)
  4. ITT jobs (2)
  5. Philip Morris International jobs (2)

Which companies pay chief diversity officers the most?

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.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1McKinsey & Company Inc$130,537$62.76
2Marshall Gerstein$118,740$57.09
3Brigham and Women's Hospital$114,967$55.27
4Morgan Stanley$113,797$54.71
5Discovery$107,682$51.77
6Icma-rc$107,098$51.49
7Skidmore College$105,171$50.56
8SUNY Morrisville$104,396$50.19
9Stanford University$101,925$49.00
10California Polytechnic State University$101,856$48.97
11Warner Bros.$101,052$48.58
12KQED$97,658$46.95
13California State University$96,695$46.49
14University of California$94,300$45.34
15New York City Independent Budget Office$93,902$45.15
16EisnerAmper$93,451$44.93
17University of California-Berkeley$93,327$44.87
18UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS$93,245$44.83
19Rock Ridge Financial$92,319$44.38
20Colorado State Express$92,319$44.38

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$92,000$90,400$88,800$87,200$85,600$84,000
MaleFemale

Chief Diversity Officer salary by industry

The average chief diversity officer salary varies across industries:

  • The average chief diversity officer salary in the automotive industry is $125,410, the highest of any industry.
  • The average chief diversity officer salary in the finance industry is $94,599.
  • Chief diversity officers in the education industry earn an average salary of $83,206, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for chief diversity officers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Automotive$125,410$60.29
2Government$94,599$45.48
3Retail$92,125$44.29
4Hospitality$91,312$43.90
5Health Care$88,767$42.68
6Education$83,206$40.00

High paying chief diversity officer jobs

Chief diversity officer salary trends

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.

Average chief diversity officer salary over time

Compare chief diversity officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Chief diversity officer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly 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%

Recently added chief diversity officer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
City and County of San FranciscoChief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer-Sfpuc)San Francisco, CA06/13/2025$189,878
The Legal Aid SocietyChief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion OfficerNew York, NY06/11/2025$180,000
City University of New YorkChief Diversity Officer-RevisedNew York, NY05/21/2025$124,656
The Legal Aid SocietyChief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion OfficerNew York, NY03/27/2025$180,000
CunyChief Diversity Officer-Heo (Revised)New York, NY03/19/2025$136,546
City & County of Denver, CoAdult Diversion OfficerDenver, CO03/15/2025$53,185
The Legal Aid SocietyChief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion OfficerNew York, NY02/19/2025$180,000
California State UniversityVice President of Equity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity OfficerNorthridge, OH02/19/2025$245,000
Csun VoveVice President of Equity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity OfficerNorthridge, OH02/19/2025$245,000
City University of New YorkChief Diversity OfficerNew York, NY02/12/2025$129,310

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