Tight Job Market Lifts Pay at New York Area Charities

A tight job market is forcing many non-profit organizations to raise salaries for mid-level staff members,

says a new report on compensation in the New York metropolitan area.

The salary survey, based on 1999 data from 600 museums and arts groups and social-service organizations in the New York City area, was conducted by Professionals for NonProfits, a personnel agency that specializes in placing staff members with such groups.

Entry-level positions like administrative assistant now command salaries of $30,000 or more, said Gayle A. Brandel, a co-founder of the agency, whereas three years ago such workers were often paid $25,000 or less.

“The tight candidate situation is moving the entire salary market up,” she says. “It’s a very competitive marketplace for experienced candidates.”

The survey shows that salary ranges at museums and arts groups are generally somewhat higher than those at social-service organizations for the same positions — particularly at the biggest groups. Executive directors, for example, earn between $175,000 and $350,000 at cultural institutions compared with $100,000 to $250,000 at social-service groups.

Substantial differences also exist for such jobs as chief financial officers (who earn $110,000 to $225,000 at cultural institutions, $90,000 to $160,000 at social-service groups) and planned-giving officers ($110,000 to $125,000 versus $90,000 to $110,000).

But there are counterexamples as well. Grant-proposal writers earn $55,000 to $65,000 at the wealthiest social-service organizations, for instance, but $50,000 to $60,000 at the largest cultural institutions.

Not surprisingly, larger institutions generally pay more. But the difference is smallest for the most junior positions: Administrative assistants at some of the wealthiest social-service groups, for example, earn the same $30,000 salaries that those at the smallest groups receive.

“The vast majority of non-profits are making it even harder on themselves to recruit in today’s tight labor market,” says Ms. Brandel.

By underpaying their staff members by several thousand dollars in an effort to save money, she says, they run the risk of incurring the much higher costs of unnecessary staff turnover.

Free copies of the “1999 Salary Survey” are available from Burt Slatas, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Professionals for NonProfits, 515 Madison Avenue, New York 10022; (212) 546-9091; e-mail bslatas@pnps-inc.com.