PBS CEO salary and executive pay
Public Broadcasting Service paid its CEO, Paula A Kerger, $1,602,897 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. That is up $319,766 (24.9%) from the fiscal year ending June 2024. Public Broadcasting Service ranks 18th of 46 major nonprofits on this site by CEO pay. Public Broadcasting Service has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Also known as Public Broadcasting Service.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 52-0899215, Arlington, VA.
CEO, fiscal year ending June 2025
$1,602,897
- Total revenue
- $696,585,777
- CEO pay vs. peers
- Higher than 81%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202631289349302363.View the filing
Peers: the 179 other organizations on this site with revenue of $500 million to $5 billion. Ranked 34th of 180 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.23% 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 PBS national. Member stations are separate organizations with their own leaders.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 9 people were paid more than $500,000, 1 of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| Paula A Kerger CEO President & CEO | $1,602,897 |
| Jonathan BarzilayChief Operating Officer | $866,097 |
| Ira RubensteinChief Digital & Marketing Officer | $737,464 |
| Katherine LauderdaleChief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | $632,537 |
| Rhonda HoltChief Technology Officer | $622,488 |
CEO pay by year
Each row is the CEO on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | Paula A Kerger CEO President & CEO | $1,602,897 | $696,585,777 | Filing |
| Jun 2024 | Paula A Kerger CEO President & CEO | $1,283,131 | $558,177,775 | Filing |
| Jun 2023 | PAULA A KERGER CEO PRESIDENT & CEO | $1,168,661 | $544,038,860 | Filing |
| Jun 2022 | PAULA A KERGER CEO PRESIDENT & CEO | $1,143,633 | $542,977,687 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending June 2025.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202631289349302363.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| Paula A KergerPresident & CEO | $1,471,435 | $131,462 | $884,849 | $537,050 | $49,536 | $69,000 | $62,462 | $1,602,897 |
| Jonathan BarzilayChief Operating Officer | $768,991 | $97,106 | $535,903 | $208,825 | $24,263 | $58,650 | $38,456 | $866,097 |
| Ira RubensteinChief Digital & Marketing Officer | $646,467 | $90,997 | $458,323 | $174,275 | $13,869 | $44,850 | $46,147 | $737,464 |
| Katherine LauderdaleChief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | $546,975 | $85,562 | $452,125 | $94,850 | $0 | $67,350 | $18,212 | $632,537 |
| Rhonda HoltChief Technology Officer | $536,431 | $86,057 | $438,993 | $94,525 | $2,913 | $67,850 | $18,207 | $622,488 |
These figures come from Public Broadcasting Service'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 Public Broadcasting Service compares
Ranked 18th of 46 major nonprofits by CEO pay.
Closest in revenue among the organizations on this site with revenue of $500 million to $5 billion:
Pace University$1,165,088 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
American Cancer Society$2,242,645 (CEO), fiscal year ending Dec 2024
Santa Clara University$1,212,179 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Everglades University$899,724 (Chancellor), fiscal year ending Dec 2024
Hofstra University$1,339,336 (President), fiscal year ending Aug 2025
Common questions
Paula A Kerger (President & CEO) was paid $1,602,897 for the fiscal year ending June 2025: $1,471,435 from Public Broadcasting Service and $131,462 in other compensation (Part VII columns D and F). Public Broadcasting Service ranks 18th of 46 major nonprofits on this site by CEO pay.
The CEO, Paula A Kerger, was the highest-paid person on the latest return, at $1,602,897. Next was Jonathan Barzilay (Chief Operating Officer), at $866,097. On the latest return, 9 people were paid more than $500,000, 1 of them more than $1 million.
This is PBS national. Member stations are separate organizations with their own leaders.
Public Broadcasting Service paid its CEO, Paula A Kerger, $1,602,897 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. That is up $319,766 (24.9%) from the fiscal year ending June 2024. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending June 2022, when the CEO was PAULA A KERGER, paid $1,143,633. By fiscal year end: June 2022, $1,143,633 (PAULA A KERGER); June 2023, $1,168,661; June 2024, $1,283,131; June 2025, $1,602,897.
From the 4 Form 990 returns PBS filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending June 2025 return breaks down pay for all 5 people in the pay breakdown above. The methodology page explains how they're chosen.