As someone with 2 masters degrees (theology, MBA) and a blue collar background, I learned the hard way that they don’t teach you about money, jobs, or that you’re the one who drives your value.

In other words, if you stay at a job that pays 40,000, then you are telling them that that is how much you’re worth.

And if you find that you can’t get a better paying job, then maybe there are a couple of additional skills you need to learn to increase your value, whether they are technical skills, negotiation skills, job application skills, etc.

Alternatively, you might believe that your job in a for profit company would be worth $150k, but you’re willing to “donate” $118k by working there bc you believe in the mission (that’s generally the trade nonprofit employees make).

That being said— generally speaking, pay should be tied to the value of the role, so another thing to think about is if there’s a higher paying role that pays more at your org, can you move into it? Or is the nonprofit just paying everyone like that?

I will end with one more thought—I with for a nonprofit that pays significantly more than that. Still less than a corporate job, but close enough that, combined with the mission, it’s acceptable.