Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Management · SOC 11-9141 · O*NET 11-9141.00
Plan, direct, or coordinate the selling, buying, leasing, or governance activities of commercial, industrial, or residential real estate properties. Includes managers of homeowner and condominium associations, rented or leased housing units, buildings, or land (including rights-of-way).
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers fall under the Management category in the U.S. occupational classification. Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers earn a median salary of $66,700 per year, ranking in the top 37% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.6% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do property, real estate, and community association managers earn?
The median annual wage for property, real estate, and community association managers is $66,700. That puts property, real estate, and community association managers at #296 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $39,360 |
| 25th percentile | $49,530 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $66,700 |
| 75th percentile | $95,760 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $141,040 |
| Median hourly wage | $32.07/hr |
Is property, real estate, and community association managers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for property, real estate, and community association managers is +3.6%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 466K positions in 2024 to 483K in 2034, a net change of 17K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do property, real estate, and community association managers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working property, real estate, and community association managers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Prepare detailed budgets and financial reports for properties.
- 2.Manage and oversee operations, maintenance, administration, and improvement of commercial, industrial, or residential properties.
- 3.Direct collection of monthly assessments, rental fees, and deposits and payment of insurance premiums, mortgage, taxes, and incurred operating expenses.
- 4.Direct and coordinate the activities of staff and contract personnel and evaluate their performance.
- 5.Purchase building and maintenance supplies, equipment, or furniture.
- 6.Prepare and administer contracts for provision of property services, such as cleaning, maintenance, and security services.
- 7.Act as liaisons between on-site managers or tenants and owners.
- 8.Inspect grounds, facilities, and equipment routinely to determine necessity of repairs or maintenance.
Top skills for property, real estate, and community association managers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become property, real estate, and community association manager?
The standard path into property, real estate, and community association managers begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about property, real estate, and community association managers
What is the median salary for property, real estate, and community association managers?
The median annual salary for property, real estate, and community association managers is $66,700 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is property, real estate, and community association managers a growing career?
BLS projects +3.6% growth for property, real estate, and community association managers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become property, real estate, and community association manager?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to property, real estate, and community association managers?
Related occupations within the Management category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.