(updated by Justin Feit, Associate Editor of BUILDINGS)
What are the top facilities management jobs? Facilities management job titles can vary as widely as a facilities manager’s responsibilities (see What Does a Facility Manager Manage?). Perhaps that’s why the salary of a career in facility management can range from $79,775 at the 25th percentile to $111,810 at the 75th percentile with a median of $93,620, according to salary.com.
What accounts for these differences? Learn more about opportunities in facilities management jobs by learning the roles and salaries each position receives.
Responsibilities and Background
Facility manager salaries differ depending on a number of factors. These include 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.
Salaries for facilities management jobs will also depend on the nature of the specific occupation. BUILDINGS readers report that their departments account for the following areas:
- 63% - Construction/Project Management
- 72% - Facility Management
- 50% - Energy Management
- 43% - Design/Space Planning
- 31% - Staff Engineering
- 21% - Staff Architecture
Facility managers could be responsible for fire and life safety issues, IAQ, sustainability, energy metering, HVAC system maintenance, lighting upgrades, reducing maintenance costs, and retrofits and renovation.
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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. 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% - Business
- 29% - Engineering
- 21% - 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 the industry, it’s helpful to divide occupations by title and type. The following are five top facilities management jobs.
1) Executives
Being an executive is one of the top facilities management jobs. Facilities managers with either “vice president” or “director” in their title earn the most. These positions include VP/director of facilities, real estate, design and construction, engineering and maintenance, and building and grounds.
Executives lead an organization’s facilities department. They direct the work of a staff and report to top management. These upper level responsibilities lend themselves to a higher average salary of $116,583.
2) Facility and/or Property Management
Senior roles in this category include the job titles facility, building or property manager. Some are referred to as the facilities coordinator or supervisor. They could be the sole manager of a facility or the leader of a facilities team. However, it’s not an executive role.
Facilities managers ensure optimal function of building systems. They typically report to the head of a unit or department. The median salary for this type of title is $93,620.
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3) 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.
The median salary for a facilities maintenance supervisor is $78,601.
4) 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. They also implement energy-cutting practices. Energy managers earn a median salary of $99,598.
Facilities planners oversee construction projects and renovation or redesign. They earn a median salary of $69,697.
5) 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. They are also often tasked with meeting efficiency and safety targets.
The median salary for a facility engineer is $93,162.
It doesn’t matter 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.
This article initially appeared in BUILDINGS in February 2013 and was originally written by Christopher Curtland. Updated May 24, 2018 by Justin Feit, ([email protected]), Associate Editor of BUILDINGS.
*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 May 2018.
