HOA & Community Association Manager Jobs

Every HOA, condo association, and master-planned community in the country needs someone to run it day to day — that's a community association manager. This page collects real, live openings for portfolio managers (who oversee several smaller associations at once), onsite managers (dedicated to one large community), and HOA coordinators at the management companies that dominate the industry: Action Property Management, Associated Asset Management, RealManage, Sentry Management, FirstService Residential, and others.

It's a job most people fall into rather than plan for — property managers, admin assistants, and even former Board members often make the jump. What the general job boards don't tell you: licensing requirements vary wildly by state, the CMCA certification is the closest thing to an industry standard, and pay swings hard depending on whether you're managing four communities or one large one.

Day to day, the work is a mix of finance (budgets, reserve studies, invoice approvals), operations (vendor contracts, maintenance, architectural review), and people management (board meetings, homeowner complaints, staff oversight at larger communities). It's relationship-heavy — the same skills that make a good property manager translate directly, but the governance side (bylaws, CC&Rs, board procedure) is specific to this field.

Types of community management jobs

"Community manager" covers a spread of roles with different scope and pay. Here's what shows up most:

Portfolio community manager. Manages a group of smaller associations at once — typically 4 to 7 communities per manager. The most common role at large management companies; heavy on time management since you're splitting attention across multiple boards.

Onsite / dedicated community manager. Assigned to one large community (often a high-rise, active-adult, or master-planned neighborhood), usually with onsite staff to supervise. Tends to pay more than portfolio roles but comes with a fixed physical location.

HOA coordinator / assistant community manager. The common entry point — supports a portfolio or onsite manager with owner communication, violation tracking, and meeting prep. Lower bar to entry, a normal path to a full manager role within 1–2 years.

Regional / senior manager. Oversees a group of managers or a company's presence in a metro area. Requires several years of portfolio or onsite experience plus CMCA, often AMS or PCAM (the advanced CAI designations).

Licensing and certification, state by state

This is the part general career advice glosses over. Two separate things are in play:

• State licensing. Most states require a license or registration once you're paid to manage association funds — only a handful of states have no requirement at all. Requirements range from a simple registration fee to a state exam plus continuing education (Florida and a few others are stricter). Check your state's real estate or professional licensing board before applying — job listings usually say "must be licensed in [state]" if it's required.
• CMCA certification. The Certified Manager of Community Associations credential, issued by CAMICB, is the industry's entry-level professional standard. It's a 120-question, 2.5-hour exam, roughly $360, recertified every two years. It isn't always a legal requirement, but most management companies expect new managers to earn it within their first 6 months — and several employers in this list will sponsor or reimburse it.

Above CMCA, the CAI (Community Associations Institute) offers advanced designations — AMS (Association Management Specialist) and PCAM (Professional Community Association Manager) — that unlock senior and regional roles.

How much do community managers make?

Salary sites disagree with each other more than usual in this field — a big part of why it's a recurring question in industry forums. Here's the range across sources, with the anchor being federal wage data:

• Federal baseline (BLS, broader "Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers" category): median around $66,700/year; the bottom 10% earns under $39,400, the top 10% over $141,000.
• Community association manager specifically: estimates run from roughly $62,000–$98,000/year depending on the source, with onsite managers at large communities and national firms (like FirstService Residential) trending toward the higher end.
• Portfolio managers (handling multiple smaller associations) tend to land a bit lower — commonly $55,000–$80,000, median near $64,000.
• Entry-level / HOA coordinator roles typically start in the $40,000–$55,000 range.

Two things worth asking about before you accept an offer: whether the listed number is base-only, and what's included beyond it. It's common in this industry for compensation to include a monthly auto allowance, cell phone/internet reimbursement, and performance bonuses — sometimes worth several thousand dollars a year on top of base.

Community & HOA management jobs — FAQ

Is HOA and community management a stressful job?

It can be. Industry surveys from the Foundation for Community Association Research point to homeowner conflict, evening board meetings, and heavy workloads as the top drivers of burnout — one survey found nearly half of managers reported declining morale. The role rewards people who are calm under pressure and comfortable setting boundaries with residents and boards.

Do you need a license to work as an HOA manager?

In most states, yes, once you're paid to manage association funds — only a handful of states have no licensing or registration requirement. Requirements vary widely: some states require a state exam and continuing education, others just a registration fee. Check your state real estate or professional licensing board before applying, since some employers require the license in hand and others will sponsor it during onboarding.

How do I become a community manager, and is CMCA worth it?

Most managers start as an assistant or onsite coordinator and work up to a portfolio role. The CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) from CAMICB is the industry-standard entry credential — a 120-question exam, roughly $360, renewed every two years. It isn't always legally required, but most management companies expect it within the first six months on the job, and it's the fastest way to signal you're serious about the field.

How much do community managers actually make?

Expect real variation by portfolio size and role. Federal wage data (BLS) puts the broader property/community association manager category at a median of about $66,700/year. Onsite managers of larger communities and managers at national firms often land $75,000–$100,000+, while smaller portfolio roles and newer managers typically start closer to $45,000–$65,000. Ask specifically whether a listed range is base-only or includes bonuses and a car/phone allowance — both are common in this industry.

More jobs by category

Is community association management a good career move?

It's a stable, always-in-demand field — every HOA and condo association in the country needs a manager, and the entry bar is lower than most people assume: no degree requirement at most companies, and a CMCA you can earn in your first few months on the job. The tradeoff is real: expect evening board meetings, homeowner conflict, and pay that varies more by portfolio size than by employer brand. Going in with realistic expectations about licensing and workload is what separates people who last in this field from people who burn out in a year.

Check the listings above, and confirm your state's licensing requirement before you apply — it can change whether a listed role is something you can start immediately or something you'll need to get credentialed for first.