Introduction
The ACEVO Pay and Equalities Survey is the most comprehensive dataset available on charity CEO pay, benefits, and leadership diversity. For over 20 years, it has been a key resource for sector leaders seeking insight into trends and challenges in governance, remuneration, and representation.
Each year, the survey captures the voices of hundreds of charity chief executives across England and Wales, and through our partners at ACOSVO and CO3, across Scotland and Northern Ireland too. It reveals critical patterns around issues including gender, race, disability, and organisational structures—helping leaders benchmark their own organisations and inform equitable decision-making.
This short briefing focuses on just one aspect of the findings from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 surveys: gender equality in CEO remuneration and representation across organisational income bands.
Gender pay gap: 2022–2024
| Year | Median male salary | Median female salary | Pay gap % |
| 2022 | £60,000 | £53,500 | 10.8% |
| 2023 | £63,000 | £57,750 | 8.3% |
| 2024 | £67,000 | £57,319 | 14.4% |
Between 2022 and 2024, the gender pay gap among charity CEOs has fluctuated significantly. In 2022, the gap stood at 10.8%, narrowed to 8.3% in 2023, and rose sharply to 14.4% in 2024—its highest level since 2014.
While male median salaries steadily increased from £60,000 in 2022 to £67,000 in 2024, female median salaries rose less consistently, and in 2024 declined slightly.
This growing disparity points to persistent systemic factors that influence pay—even when other variables, like organisational size, are considered.
CEO representation by charity size
Small charities (<£1m)
| Year | % Female CEOs | % Male CEOs |
| 2022 | 60% | 48% |
| 2023 | 56% | 45% |
| 2024 | 59% | 47% |
Medium charities (£1-5m)
| Year | % Female CEOs | % Male CEOs |
| 2022 | 26% | 27% |
| 2023 | 32% | 32% |
| 2024 | 28% | 32% |
Large charities (>£5m)
| Year | % Female CEOs | % Male CEOs |
| 2022 | 14% | 25% |
| 2023 | 12% | 24% |
| 2024 | 11% | 20% |
Female CEOs are consistently over-represented in smaller charities (under £1m income) and under-represented in larger organisations (over £5m income). This trend has remained relatively stable over the past three years.
- In 2024, 59% of female CEOs responding to our survey led small charities compared to 47% of males.
- Conversely, 20% of male CEOs responding to our survey led large charities, compared to just 11% of women.
- Parity exists primarily within medium-sized organisations (£1–5m income), where representation is nearly balanced.
These patterns strongly influence pay levels, as larger charities tend to offer higher salaries—contributing to the overall gender pay gap.
Reflections and next steps
The data presented here offers just a glimpse into the wealth of insights available in the full Pay and Equalities Survey reports. While some year-to-year variation is expected, the persistence of a gender pay gap and the concentration of female leaders in lower-income charities calls for continued scrutiny and action.
We encourage charity leaders, trustees, and policymakers to:
- Use this data to benchmark progress in their own organisations.
- Challenge assumptions about leadership pathways and pay structures.
- Commit to transparency and accountability in recruitment, development, and remuneration.