“The fact that I’m in tenant organizing, I know the realities of how rent will go up every year. Our directors should know that too, and they should be accounting for that when they think about whether or not we can afford to stay in these jobs.”

—Organizer

This data demonstrates that the current average salary is not enough to afford basic cost of living in New York City for any non-managerial organizers. Additionally, becoming a parent or taking on other caregiving responsibilities is only possible for managerial organizers living in a dual income household or outside of the city itself. 

The increase in costs across counties and as family size increases comes, in large part, from housing. Given the housing affordability crisis in New York City and across the country, it follows that 1/3 of organizing jobs posted since the start of 2024 are for tenant organizers. The same affordability issues that impact many of the communities that organizers serve, which are leading long-time residents to leave the five boroughs of the city, impact organizers themselves as well.

*For a thorough landscape analysis of the current state of compensation for organizers in New York City and a more in-depth look at how cost of living impacts managerial roles, please see the compensation report at the end of this document.

When asked about the ideal starting salary for an organizer, every organizer and director we interviewed suggested an amount exceeding $50,000, with $67,000 being the average minimum for an entry-level position. As illustrated above, the salary for many organizing jobs falls far short of that average.

Directors and funders have observed that, due to their inability to offer competitive salaries or larger grants, respectively, organizers often leave grantee organizations within 2–3 years of service. This turnover occurs before an organizer can fully integrate campaign or community knowledge into a
sustainable system, which not only hampers the continuity of ongoing campaigns but also diminishes the long-term impact these organizations aim to achieve.

The frequent departure of organizers leads to inexperienced teams,
creating a cycle of disruption that undermines the stability and growth of campaigns. Additionally, the uneven distribution of workloads burdens more experienced organizers or managers, who are constantly required to onboard and train new staff, detracting from their ability to focus on strategic objectives.

“Salaries are not as competitive as they can be and everyone agrees that we need more money. Turnover due to staff seeking better compensation always delays the work/campaigns.” 

—Executive Director 

We also learned that many organizations fail to involve key staff members who serve on hiring teams, such as organizing directors or HR directors, in broader budgetary discussions. This exclusion creates a significant disconnect and a lack of transparency in determining salaries for new organizing hires. As a result, those directly responsible for recruitment and staffing are often left without a clear understanding of the financial framework within which they are expected to operate.

This disconnect can lead to misaligned expectations, where hiring teams may advocate for competitive salaries to attract top talent, only to find that budgetary constraints have already been set without their input. This lack of involvement not only hinders hiring teams to make informed decisions but also contributes to broader issues of staff dissatisfaction, turnover, and the inability to offer compensation packages that reflect the true value and needs of the roles being filled.