What is a volunteer hour worth?

The most widely cited estimate of what an hour of volunteer time is worth is published each year by Independent Sector in partnership with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. The current figure is $36.14 per hour, based on data collected in 2025 and released April 21, 2026. That is a 3.9% increase over the prior year.

Where the number comes from

It is not a survey of what volunteers would be paid. It is derived from the average hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls, drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics series, then adjusted upward for the estimated value of fringe benefits. It is meant as a general, national stand-in for the worth of donated time.

It varies a lot by state

The national figure is an average. Independent Sector also publishes state-by-state values. For the most recent year these range from a low of $17.99 per hour (Puerto Rico) to a high of $54.77 per hour (the District of Columbia). For your own state's figure, use the source directly: Independent Sector, Value of Volunteer Time (national page and the downloadable state-by-state table).

How nonprofits use it

• Annual reports and impact statements. Multiply total volunteer hours by the rate to show donated time as a dollar figure alongside cash giving.
• Grant applications and in-kind match. Many funders let you count volunteer time toward a required match. The Independent Sector value is the standard rate to use, but always check the specific funder's rules, some require a skill-based or market rate instead.
• Board and stakeholder reporting. A volunteer-hours total is abstract; a dollar value lands.

A worked example

Say your program logged 1,200 volunteer hours over the year. At the national rate that is 1,200 x $36.14 = $43,368 of donated time. The math is only as good as your hours, which is the whole reason to track them cleanly rather than estimating at year end.

Getting an accurate hours total

Kangaroo Clock is built for exactly this. Volunteers clock in with a tap, a scan, or a personal link (no logins), and you pull a clean total for any date range from Reports. Then apply the rate above. See the minutes-to-decimal-hours table if you are converting clock times by hand.

Figures above are published by Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute and are reproduced here with attribution for reference. They are estimates, not wages or legal valuations. Confirm the current number and your state's value at the source before citing it in a formal document.