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New Jersey / Human Services / Executive Director

Job-title file

Executive Director

Lead staff and operations — set priorities, allocate resources, and oversee program delivery.

2 employees hold this title in Human Services. Median total compensation for the role is $154,426, above the department median of $73,445.

Employees
2
Total payroll
$308.9K
Role median
$154,426
Agency median
$73,445
Comparison
Above

Compared with the local labor market

Executive Director pay vs. New Jersey

Across all employers in New Jersey, the median wage for Chief Executivesabout 2,430 people is $310,440. Human Services pays a median base salary of $154,426 for this role, 50% below that figurebelow the 10th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Human Services sits in the local pay range

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$173,560
$207,160
$310,440
$448,910
$666,030
Human Services median · $154,426

The bar is the range of annual wages for Chief Executives across every employer in New Jersey, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Human Services’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Chief Executivesabout 204,350 people is $213,990. Human Services’s median base salary is 28% below that national figure, about the 32nd percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
Human Services median · $154,426

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the New Jersey range relative to the national one.

Median total compensation for this role at Human Services is $154,426, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across New Jersey

Executive Director is held in 13 New Jersey departments. In Human Services, the median of $154,426 ranks #9 of 13.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Median total compensation for the Executive Director role in other New Jerseydepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Executive Director beyond New Jersey

This role is reported in 16 jurisdictions. In New Jersey, the median of $163,810 ranks #6 of 16. See Executive Director across all of New Jersey

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

New York City
$234,270 · 24
California
$216,557 · 5
City of Baltimore
$181,781 · 107
Texas
$174,155 · 48
District of Columbia
$155,094 · 29
Vermont
$127,275 · 27
Massachusetts
$123,657 · 8

Median total compensation for comparable Executive Director roles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Same department

Other job titles in Human Services

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Edward Michalak

Executive Director/Human Services

2024 total comp
$169,887
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$169,887
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$169,887
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
V

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Michalak, Edward V
Payroll ID
115828
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$178,250
Year-to-Date Earnings
$169,887

At Human Services, Edward Michalak serves as a Executive Director within Central Office. Their 2024 pay totaled $169,887. They are represented by Managerial - Unit M.

Mercedes Witowsky

Executive Director/Human Services

2024 total comp
$138,965
Sub-department
Developmental Disabilities Council
Base pay
$138,965
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$138,965
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
A

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Witowsky, Mercedes A
Payroll ID
158624
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$145,806
Year-to-Date Earnings
$138,965

At Human Services, Mercedes Witowsky serves as a Executive Director within Developmental Disabilities Council. Their 2024 pay totaled $138,965. They are represented by Managerial - Unit M.