Mission agency compensation study.
Real benchmarks from real members — the most cited compensation reference for missions executives in North America.
Unlock the full studyBoards deserve better than guesswork
Mission agencies have always benchmarked executive compensation against denominational averages, against last year’s number, or against nothing. None of those work.
Boards make better decisions
When boards have real data, they calibrate pay to the actual market for senior missions leadership. Retention improves. CEOs negotiate from a stronger position.
This study exists to make accurate, updated compensation data available every year — so boards and CEOs have what they need to make the right call.
He took the study to his board. They gave him a $25,000 raise. They didn’t want to lose him.
— Real story from a member CEO
Key findings
These are the headline numbers that matter most.
Median CEO compensation across responding agencies.
ViewAverage year-over-year increase in senior leadership pay.
ViewMission agencies lag comparable nonprofits in executive pay.
ViewOrganizations and leadership roles represented in this year’s sample.
ViewEverything the preview doesn’t show you
Members access the complete dataset: compensation by role, org size, region, and organization type. Plus benefits benchmarks, board compensation patterns, and five years of trend data.
CEO, COO, CFO, mobilization director, member care director, and more
Compensation broken out by every senior leadership role we track.
Organization size bands
How budget and staff size shift the pay picture.
Regional and organization-type cuts
See how pay varies by geography and agency type.
The Compensation Study is one of dozens of research pieces included with membership.
Explore membershipThe Mission Agency Compensation Study is built from voluntary submissions by member organizations. Data is anonymized, aggregated, and reviewed for consistency before publication. This year’s edition represents 847 organizations and 2,341 senior leadership roles.