American Cancer Society CEO salary and executive pay
American Cancer Society paid its CEO, KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD, $2,242,645 for the fiscal year ending December 2024. That is up $722,344 (47.5%) from the fiscal year ending December 2023. American Cancer Society ranks 14th of 46 major nonprofits on this site by CEO pay. $173,760 of KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD's pay came from related organizations (column E). American Cancer Society has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 13-1788491, Atlanta, GA.
CEO, fiscal year ending December 2024
$2,242,645
Also listed with a chief executive title on this filing: WAYNE A I FREDERICK MD MBA FACS (INTERIM CEO/BOARD DIRECTOR, FORMER), $601,730.
- Total revenue
- $724,184,531
- CEO pay vs. peers
- Higher than 88%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending December 2024, IRS object ID 202502879349300245.View the filing
Peers: the 179 other organizations on this site with revenue of $500 million to $5 billion. Ranked 22nd of 180 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.31% of revenue, our calculation from the same return. Revenue is Part I, line 12; peers are compared on their latest full-year returns.
This is the national organization, American Cancer Society, Inc., based in Atlanta. Its Cancer Action Network is a separate 501(c)(4) that files its own return, so its pay is not included here. The return for January to March 2025 covers a 3-month short year and lists every officer at $0, so the latest full year shown is 2024.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 11 people were paid more than $500,000, 5 of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD CEO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OUTGOING | $2,242,645 |
| KAEL REICINCHIEF FINANCIAL & STRATEGY OFFICER | $1,322,641 |
| WILLIAM L DAHUTCHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER | $1,073,456 |
| ANDRE C BOKHOORCHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | $1,020,474 |
| MICHAEL L NEALCHIEF OF ORGANIZATIONAL ADVANCEMENT | $1,020,332 |
CEO pay by year
Each row is the CEO on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 Short year, 3 months | No officer pay reportedAll 21 people listed on this return show $0. | $0 | $136,826,348 | Filing |
| Dec 2024 | KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD CEO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OUTGOING | $2,242,645 | $724,184,531 | Filing |
| Dec 2023 | Karen E Knudsen PhD CEO Chief Executive Officer | $1,520,301 | $656,838,115 | Filing |
| Dec 2022 | Karen E Knudsen PhD CEO Chief Executive Officer | $1,118,608 | $674,472,929 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending December 2024.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending December 2024, IRS object ID 202502879349300245.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Related | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| KAREN E KNUDSEN PHDCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OUTGOING | $2,015,611 | $173,760 | $53,274 | $855,458 | $946,972 | $213,181 | $19,057 | $29,989 | $2,064,657 |
| Schedule J, from related orgs | $73,746 | $81,636 | $18,378 | $1,643 | $2,585 | $177,988 | |||
| KAEL REICINCHIEF FINANCIAL & STRATEGY OFFICER | $1,150,466 | $123,264 | $48,911 | $616,851 | $482,511 | $51,104 | $18,872 | $25,306 | $1,194,644 |
| Schedule J, from related orgs | $66,091 | $51,697 | $5,476 | $2,022 | $2,711 | $127,997 | |||
| WILLIAM L DAHUTCHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER | $1,011,912 | $0 | $61,544 | $586,079 | $417,497 | $8,336 | $60,412 | $1,132 | $1,073,456 |
| Schedule J, from related orgs | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
| ANDRE C BOKHOORCHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | $950,673 | $0 | $69,801 | $512,428 | $410,930 | $27,315 | $41,463 | $28,338 | $1,020,474 |
| Schedule J, from related orgs | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
| MICHAEL L NEALCHIEF OF ORGANIZATIONAL ADVANCEMENT | $977,147 | $0 | $43,185 | $544,301 | $390,246 | $42,600 | $21,470 | $21,715 | $1,020,332 |
| Schedule J, from related orgs | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
These figures come from American Cancer Society's Form 990 returns, as the IRS publishes them. The methodology page explains how they're chosen. To report an error, email corrections@ceopaycheck.com.
How American Cancer Society compares
Ranked 14th of 46 major nonprofits by CEO pay.
Closest in revenue among the organizations on this site with revenue of $500 million to $5 billion:
Santa Clara University$1,212,179 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Pace University$1,165,088 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Hofstra University$1,339,336 (President), fiscal year ending Aug 2025
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$1,306,266 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
University of San Diego$1,682,191 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Common questions
KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OUTGOING) was paid $2,242,645 for the fiscal year ending December 2024: $2,015,611 from American Cancer Society, $173,760 from related organizations and $53,274 in other compensation (Part VII columns D, E and F). American Cancer Society ranks 14th of 46 major nonprofits on this site by CEO pay.
The CEO, KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD, was the highest-paid person on the latest return, at $2,242,645. Next was KAEL REICIN (CHIEF FINANCIAL & STRATEGY OFFICER), at $1,322,641. On the latest return, 11 people were paid more than $500,000, 5 of them more than $1 million.
This is the national organization, American Cancer Society, Inc., based in Atlanta. Its Cancer Action Network is a separate 501(c)(4) that files its own return, so its pay is not included here.
American Cancer Society paid its CEO, KAREN E KNUDSEN PHD, $2,242,645 for the fiscal year ending December 2024. That is up $722,344 (47.5%) from the fiscal year ending December 2023. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending December 2022, when the CEO was Karen E Knudsen PhD, paid $1,118,608. By fiscal year end: December 2022, $1,118,608 (Karen E Knudsen PhD); December 2023, $1,520,301; December 2024, $2,242,645. The 3-month return for the period ending March 2025 reports no officer pay.
From the 4 Form 990 returns American Cancer Society filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending December 2024 return breaks down pay for all 5 people in the pay breakdown above. The methodology page explains how they're chosen.