A community association manager functions as the manager of any community-based establishment such as a neighborhood or a residential building. The community association manager is directly responsible for the entire operation of the association, which includes organizing and marketing the vacant spaces, dealing with problematic occurrences, as well as communicating with the representatives of all the services utilized by the community association (such as a sanitation service). The community association manager is also tasked with training new members of the association’s staff and in some cases, performing the hiring process themselves.
A degree in either finances or administration is usually required to become a community association manager. It may not be a strict requirement though, depending on the size of the installment, and some smaller communities are usually more easy-going in their demands. The more important assets of a good community manager are related to their personal skills, such as their discipline, ability to handle complex operations without problems, and good communication skills. Community association managers must also be easily available to the residents of the community at all times.
Community associations managers tend to be paid a moderately high salary, with the median for 2009 being $41,000. In some more developed community establishments that require a greater degree of management, the position is compensated very well, with salaries of around $61,000 – $70,000, plus very attractive bonuses as well. Additionally, the community associations manager may receive extra benefits from any commercial operations running in their area of management.