Grantmaking Foundations — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the grantmaking foundations industry earns $99,077 per year ($47.63/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Grantmaking Foundations Workers Earn?
At $99,077/year (equivalent to $47.63/hour for a full-time worker), grantmaking foundations wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical grantmaking foundations business employs 7 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average grantmaking foundations business generating $1.7M/year with 7 employees at $99,077 each, total payroll represents roughly 39.9% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a grantmaking foundationsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $128,800/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 7 employees = ~$693,539/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $47.63/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.7M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Grantmaking Foundations revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do grantmaking foundations employees make?
- The average grantmaking foundations employee earns $99,077 per year, which is equivalent to $47.63/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the grantmaking foundations industry?
- The grantmaking foundations industry employs 76,779 workers across 11,533 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 7 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).