What you can expect to earn as a chief of party

The chief of party, or COP, position is among the most senior roles in global development professionals, particularly those to specialize in project management. Consequently, as our salary data analysis of the role from last year established, it is typically one of the higher-paying jobs in the development sector. However, compensation for chief of party roles can vary significantly based on several factors, including the location of the position, the specific area of focus, and the type of hiring organization. In our previous COP salary analysis, we looked at data from 69 job postings that were shared with Devex from 2019 to April 2023. As part of our ongoing effort to highlight salary trends for key roles in the development sector, we are now presenting an update of COP salary analysis based on the most recent data shared with Devex from May 2023 to July 2024. This updated analysis is based on 35 chief of party jobs from 21 recruiting organizations with salaries that were shared either publicly or privately with Devex. All salaries were offered on an annual basis and those that were not initially disclosed in U.S. dollars were converted from their original currencies to maintain consistency. In total, the average minimum salary of the COP postings analyzed is $127,197, while the maximum salary is $172,668. Compared to our previous analysis, this represents significant increases of 30.4% and 27.1%. Overall, the average for all minimum and maximum salaries combined came to $152,064, which is a 5.1% increase from the average COP salary in our previous analysis ($144,707). COP salaries based on regions and locations The COP job postings analyzed spanned 17 countries from 11 regions. The annual salaries for these ranged from as low as $35,849 for a role based in Bangladesh and as high as $230,000 for a chief of party position based in the United States. Among the 11 regions, as is usually the case, North America featured the highest average COP salaries, ranging from $138,157 to $191,447. Most of these positions were based in the United States. Outside of North America, COP salaries on the higher end of the spectrum were found in Latin America and the Caribbean, with averages ranging from $102,916 to $173,157, and Eastern Africa ($98,098 to $131,762). What were the highest-paid COP jobs? Of those salaries that were shared publicly by the hiring organizations, the following offered the highest maximum amount. 1. EngenderHealth Max salary: $230,000 Location: United States This U.S.-based chief of party role was being recruited for the Accelerating Choice, Equity, and Sustainability for Services, or ACCESS, project which focused on advancing family planning and reproductive health initiatives in USAID-supported countries. 2. Abt Global Inc. Max salary: $204,997 Location: United States This chief of party role located in the U.S. was being recruited for the Research and Analytics for Development Activity whose goal is to deliver high-quality analysis and evidence building services to USAID. 3. International Republican Institute Max salary: $199,842 Location: Kazakhstan The purpose of this chief of party role was to serve as the primary point of contact for the USAID-funded Strengthening Civic Engagement activity in Kazakhstan. View all current chief of party positions on Devex. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.