Community Manager Salary Survey

For more than a decade, the Community Association Manager Compensation and Salary Survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research has been a valuable tool for benchmarking pay and benefit levels in the community association management industry.

Information in this survey represents the most comprehensive, accurate, and current data on compensation received by management professionals. It is designed to allow a company or manager to compare their pay with peers.

The 2021 edition is the seventh salary survey conducted by the Foundation. Each edition enhances our understanding of the growing profession. In addition to basic profile and salary information for companies and managers, the survey features:

• Compensation outlooks.
• Compensation by job title presented by regions and states for management company CEOs and senior executives, large-scale managers, high-rise managers, on-site managers, portfolio managers, and assistant community managers.
• Compensation by job title presented by regions and states for employees at large-scale communities.
• Salary differences between managers with and without professional credentials.
• Data based on community association size and management company size
• Information on employee benefits, health coverage, and retirement plans.

It’s important to note that the results from the salary survey should be considered a valid point of reference but not used in isolation from other information. Survey results are not the only—or even the primary—source for organizations to make compensation decisions. Many factors can determine compensation levels, including economic conditions, employer size, location, market position, and the individual manager’s experience, education, and performance.

Similarly, there should be caution about comparing data in this report with previous years primarily because there is a different set of respondents. This, combined with the amount of change in the profession, makes an accurate year-to-year comparison very difficult. For example, many more professionals now hold certifications or designations than in previous years.

The full report is proudly sponsored by The March Group. It is available for purchase as a digital book from CAI Press.

Median Annual Salary by Designation

CMCA – $87,500

AMS – $95,200

PCAM – $115,500

LSM – $157,000

Other – $65,007

Median Annual Salary by Job Title

Management company CEO – $107,000

Management company executive – $101,659

Large-scale manager – $135,500

High-rise manager – $105,000

On-site manager – $78,000

Portfolio manager – $60,000

Assistant community manager – $53,500

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