What are the top jobs in facility management? Facilities management job titles can vary as widely as a facilities manager’s responsibilities (for that topic, see What Does a Facility Manager Manage?). Perhaps that’s why the salary of a career in facility management can range from $56,689 at the 10th percentile to $105,056 at the 90th percentile with a median of $80,780, according to salary.com.[1]
Facility manager salaries differ depending on the amount of square footage managed, the size of the organization’s facility budget, and the building type, which includes manufacturing, healthcare, education, office, or retail.
Salary will also depend on the nature of the specific facilities management occupation. BUILDINGS readers report that their departments account for the following areas:
- 67% – construction/project management;
- 65% – facility management;
- 51% – energy management;
- 47% – design/space planning;
- 31% – staff engineering;
- 26% – staff architecture.
Facility managers could be responsible for fire and life safety issues, indoor air quality (IAQ), sustainable operations, energy metering, HVAC system maintenance, lighting upgrades, reducing maintenance costs, or retrofits and renovation.
Backgrounds and specialties also vary widely. Schooling is an important component that helps determine what facility professionals earn. More than one-third of BUILDINGS readers have graduate degrees, and more than two-thirds have post-secondary education.
Even the types of degrees facilities management professionals have earned differs. BUILDINGS readers report educational background in the following areas:
- 33% – engineering;
- 29% – business;
- 23% – architecture.
Facilities professionals with backgrounds in business or accounting tend to be among the most successful, but to get a better gauge on the best jobs in FM, it is helpful to divide occupations by title and type. The following are the top five job categories in the facility management industry.
[1]All data from salary.com, which uses Certified Compensation Professionals’ analysis of survey data collected from thousands of HR departments at employers of all sizes, industries, and geographies, as of January 2013.
Executives
FMs with either “vice president” or “director” in their title earn the most, and these positions include VP/director of facilities, real estate, design and construction, engineering and maintenance, and building and grounds. The median salary for these titles jumps to $113,529.
Executives lead an organization’s facilities department, direct the work of a staff, and typically report to top management. These upper level responsibilities lend themselves to a higher average salary.
Facility and/or Property Management
Senior roles in this category include the job titles facility, building, or property manager. They could also be referred to as the facilities coordinator or supervisor. This occupation could be the sole manager of a facility or the leader of a facilities team. However, it is not an executive role.
FMs ensure optimal functioning of building systems and typically report to the head of a unit or department. The median salary for this type of title is $80,780.
Maintenance
Job titles in this category include maintenance manager, engineer, supervisor or technician. This occupation is responsible for managing service and repairs in the areas of plumbing, carpentry, painting, plastering, and machine and electrical servicing. These jobs earn a median salary of $91,327.
Specialists
Specialists are part of the facilities team that have a honed focus. These titles include asset or energy manager and construction or space planner.
Energy managers monitor the energy usage of building systems, implement energy cutting practices, and earn a median salary of $97,568.
Facilities planners oversee construction projects and renovation or redesign, earning a median salary of $62,513.
Operations and Engineering
This category includes the operations manager or facility/building engineer. Among the responsibilities of this role is researching equipment or fixtures for purchase and ensuring that efficiency and safety targets are met. These jobs earn a median salary of $57,820.
Regardless if you’re the one managing a team or the person with his or her hands on the knobs and buttons, pursuing a career in facilities management is a fruitful move.