The best-paid development jobs of 2025

As the world faces complex, interconnected issues, from climate change and public health to political instability and economic inequality, there remains a demand for seasoned professionals who can manage organizations, influence policy, and deliver tangible results. 

Despite a shake-up in the development landscape, with several organizations cutting down projects and staff due to the U.S. government funding cuts, organizations are still investing in critical areas and ensuring that roles with the highest levels of technical skill and leadership are filled.

In this article, we take a look at the highest-paid jobs in global development. Using data analyzed from the Devex job board, we used the top 100 jobs with the highest salaries from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30 of this year, and those with the highest salaries by region, sector, and organization type. To maintain consistency, all salaries that were not disclosed in U.S. dollars were converted from their original currencies.

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