Nonprofit jobs in Wilmington, North Carolina
Updated November 13, 2026
ExecSearches has 1 senior nonprofit and public-sector opening in the Wilmington metro, including Leland, Hampstead, Castle Hayne, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Burgaw, Southport and Shallotte right now. This page reads our job board each time it loads, so new Wilmington postings appear here the moment they are approved, and the page stays up with local facts even when no Wilmington job is open.
Current openings in the Wilmington area
Covers the Wilmington metro, including Leland, Hampstead, Castle Hayne, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Burgaw, Southport and Shallotte.
Executive Director & CEO
StepUp Wilmington
Posted November 11, 2026
To hear about new Wilmington roles first, set up a free job alert. Employers hiring in Wilmington can post a job on ExecSearches.
More openings in North Carolina
Corporate Compliance Officer
FirstHealth of the Carolinas
Pinehurst · Posted October 31, 2026
Director of Energy Management
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill · Posted October 28, 2026
Director of Research Administration
North Carolina State University
Raleigh · Posted October 27, 2026
Director of Philanthropic Strategy & Prospect Management
North Carolina State University
Raleigh · Posted October 27, 2026
Assistant Director, Talent Acquisition - Allied Health
Duke Health
Durham · Posted October 26, 2026
For openings across the state, see our North Carolina nonprofit jobs page and our North Carolina nonprofit executive jobs guide. Inland, our Raleigh-Durham and Research Triangle guide and our Asheville and western North Carolina guide cover the other ends of the state.
Wilmington at a glance
| City population | 126,809 Wilmington city, July 1, 2025 estimate. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates |
|---|---|
| Metro population | 492,772 Wilmington, NC metro (New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties), July 1, 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 metro estimates |
| Median household income | $77,098 New Hanover County (2024). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% all ages, New Hanover County (2024). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE |
| 501(c)(3) organizations | 1,079 with a Wilmington mailing address. Source: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026 release |
| Price level | 96.4 Wilmington, NC metro, U.S. = 100, 2024 (North Carolina 94.3; housing 93.2). Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% metro, September 2026, preliminary, not seasonally adjusted. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics |
What nonprofit leaders earn in Wilmington
IRS Form 990 filings for fiscal years ending 2025 and 2026 put median chief executive pay in the Wilmington metro at about $51,000 at community nonprofits under $1 million in revenue and $115,000 at those between $1 million and $10 million, with the middle half of that second group running from $94,000 to $149,000. Education nonprofits have a median near $85,000. Too few Wilmington organizations above $10 million filed for a reliable median at that size, so we do not publish one. These are reportable compensation figures, which can include more than base salary (ExecSearches analysis of IRS Form 990 e-file data; the regional picture is in our Wilmington and coastal North Carolina guide). Prices in the Wilmington metro run about 4% below the national average (96.4 on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 2024 Regional Price Parities, U.S. = 100), and above North Carolina as a whole, which scored 94.3. The coast is the expensive part of a cheap state, so a salary that stretches in Greensboro buys less here.
Major nonprofit employers in the Wilmington area
- New Hanover Community Endowment, a health conversion foundation created from the sale of the county hospital, reported $112 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending December 2024 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica).
- Coastal Horizons Center, a behavioral health and crisis services nonprofit, reported $84 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
- Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, a hospice and palliative care provider, reported $45 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending September 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
- The Davis Community, a senior living and skilled nursing organization in Porters Neck, reported $43 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending September 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
- Classical Charter Schools of America, a charter school network based in Leland, reported $32 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica).
- YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina, a YMCA association based in Wilmington, reported $29 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending December 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
- Cape Fear Academy, an independent school, reported $21 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
- Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, a Habitat for Humanity affiliate based in Wilmington, reported $9 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (Form 990 filings on ProPublica, careers).
Recent Wilmington-area roles posted on ExecSearches
These are closed. They show who hires senior staff around Wilmington and, when the employer printed it, what the job paid.
- March 2026: Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety, University of North Carolina Wilmington, $81,931 to $90,556.
- December 2025: Director of Philanthropy, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, $65,000 to $75,000.
- December 2025: Community Engagement Manager, Alzheimer's Association, $44,900 to $57,300.
- July 2024: Executive Director & CEO, StepUp Wilmington.
- October 2023: Executive Director, Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, $135,000 to $160,000.
- October 2023: Executive Director, DREAMS Center for Arts Education.
- June 2023: Director of Prospect Development, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
- February 2023: Executive Director, Cameron Art Museum, $95,000 to $115,000.
Our Wilmington guide
Our Wilmington and coastal North Carolina nonprofit executive jobs guide covers what nonprofit leaders earn on the coast, the employers and foundations that hire, the sectors with the most openings, and what it costs to live in New Hanover County.
Frequently asked questions
How many nonprofit executive jobs are open in Wilmington right now?
The list at the top of this page is live: it reads the ExecSearches job board each time the page loads and shows every open senior role in the Wilmington metro, including Leland, Hampstead, Castle Hayne, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Burgaw, Southport and Shallotte. When none is open, the newest North Carolina roles show instead.
What does a nonprofit executive director earn in Wilmington?
IRS Form 990 filings for fiscal years ending 2025 and 2026 put median chief executive pay in the Wilmington metro at about $51,000 at community nonprofits under $1 million in revenue and $115,000 at those between $1 million and $10 million, with the middle half of that second group running from $94,000 to $149,000. Education nonprofits have a median near $85,000. Too few Wilmington organizations above $10 million filed for a reliable median at that size, so we do not publish one. These are reportable compensation figures, which can include more than base salary (ExecSearches analysis of IRS Form 990 e-file data; the regional picture is in our Wilmington and coastal North Carolina guide).
How does the cost of living in Wilmington affect nonprofit pay?
Prices in the Wilmington metro run about 4% below the national average (96.4 on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 2024 Regional Price Parities, U.S. = 100), and above North Carolina as a whole, which scored 94.3. The coast is the expensive part of a cheap state, so a salary that stretches in Greensboro buys less here.
Which counties does this page cover?
New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties, the three that make up the Wilmington metro area under the federal 2023 definition. Jacksonville and Myrtle Beach are separate metro areas.
How do I hear about new Wilmington nonprofit jobs?
Set up a free ExecSearches job alert for North Carolina and you get an email when a matching role posts. ExecSearches does not sell job seeker data.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates, for city and metro population (July 1, 2025).
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, for county income and poverty (2024).
- IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026 release, for organization counts and employer revenue.
- IRS Form 990 e-file data, for pay medians, fiscal years ending 2025 and 2026, as analyzed by ExecSearches.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, for prices and housing (2024).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, for metro unemployment (September 2026).
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for Form 990 filings for each employer named.
- ExecSearches posting records, for the closed Wilmington-area roles listed above.