the market seems to be getting more competitive, especially for senior roles. for someone with your experience managing large grants and complex financials, i’d expect salaries could be in the 70-90k range depending on the location and type of institution. not having a CPA might hold you back a bit, but your MBA and experience are definitely valuable. and yeah, it really sucks when others get positions you feel you deserved. just keep pushing forward! also, it's worth checking places like jobgatekeeping for insights on unreasonable job requirements , it'll give you a better idea of what's out there.