Fundraising Managers Career, Salary and Skills
Fundraising Managers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $125,470 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 38,810. Wage data is published for 183 locations.
Occupation description
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.
O*NET code
11-2033.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$125,470
Hourly median
$60.32
Employment
38,810
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.12 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | 4.12 | 3.88 |
| Persuasion | 4.00 | 3.50 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Coordination | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 3.75 |
Typical tasks
- Develop strategies to encourage new or increased contributions.
- Manage fundraising budgets.
- Develop fundraising activity plans that maximize participation or contributions and minimize costs.
- Plan and direct special events for fundraising, such as silent auctions, dances, golf events, or walks.
- Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new fundraising opportunities.
- Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations.
- Contact corporate representatives, government officials, or community leaders to increase awareness of organizational causes, activities, or needs.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Distiller
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe PageMaker
- Adobe Photoshop
- Airtable
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple iDVD
- Apple iMovie
- Blackbaud eTapestry
Fundraising Managers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Fundraising Managers Salary in CAMedian $135,870 · Employment 5,430
- Fundraising Managers Salary in NYMedian $169,510 · Employment 4,080
- Fundraising Managers Salary in New York, NYMedian $170,780 · Employment 3,720
- Fundraising Managers Salary in ILMedian $106,290 · Employment 2,860
- Fundraising Managers Salary in TXMedian $96,520 · Employment 2,560
- Fundraising Managers Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $109,720 · Employment 2,310
- Fundraising Managers Salary in MAMedian $151,740 · Employment 2,260
- Fundraising Managers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $125,620 · Employment 2,080
- Fundraising Managers Salary in PAMedian $111,280 · Employment 1,950
- Fundraising Managers Salary in Boston, MAMedian $161,500 · Employment 1,720
- Fundraising Managers Salary in OHMedian $101,470 · Employment 1,630
- Fundraising Managers Salary in Washington, DCMedian $141,720 · Employment 1,470
Related careers
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government ProgramsNational median $54,210
- Project Management SpecialistsNational median $102,320
- Compensation and Benefits ManagersNational median $149,230
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative AssistantsNational median $76,590
- Personal Financial AdvisorsNational median $105,070
- Investment Fund ManagersNational median $166,570
- Education Administrators, PostsecondaryNational median $104,590
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsNational median $78,760
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.