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What is an assisted living administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Assisted living administrators determine who is admitted into an assisted living facility. They manage financial matters including the finances of those living in assisted living arrangements. They may perform managerial tasks such as hiring, evaluating, assigning duties, and firing assisted living staff. Assisted living administrators earn a median hourly sum of $12.64, which amounts to $26,000 per year.

Assisted living administrators supervise health care services for older adults who need regular care and assistance with daily tasks. These administrators manage, outline, and coordinate services geared toward older adults who may require assistance. They also supervise all security, transportation, and monitoring needs.

Assisted living administrators typically hold a bachelor's degree in business, health administration, or other relevant fields. They need to have licensure depending on the state they operate in and additional certification through the American College of Health Care Administrators. Some employers prefer candidates with excellent financial and analytical skills.

ScoreAssisted Living AdministratorUS Average
Salary
2.2

Avg. Salary $28,196

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate 36%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.20%

Asian 8.70%

Black or African American 10.79%

Hispanic or Latino 17.27%

Unknown 4.39%

White 57.65%

Gender

female 77.20%

male 22.80%

Age - 50
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50
Stress level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Assisted living administrator career paths

Key steps to become an assisted living administrator

  1. Explore assisted living administrator education requirements

    Most common assisted living administrator degrees

    Bachelor's

    34.9 %

    High School Diploma

    22.1 %

    Associate

    19.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific assisted living administrator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Resident Care12.17%
    Patients11.14%
    Senior Care7.43%
    Quality Care7.24%
    Infection Control6.52%
  3. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming an licensed assisted living administrator usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed assisted living administrator in most of states. 25 states require assisted living administrators to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    AlaskaDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredNurse Aide
    ArkansasSpecific course requiredBoth state and third-party exams requiredNursing Assistant (Certified)
    CaliforniaSpecific course requiredState exam requiredCertified Nurse Assistant
    ColoradoSpecific course requiredState exam requiredNurse Aide
    ConnecticutSpecific course requiredState exam requiredNurses Aide
  4. Gain additional assisted living administrator certifications

    Assisted living administrator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assisted living administrator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for assisted living administrators include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

    More About Certifications
  5. Research assisted living administrator duties and responsibilities

    • pass attain as well as CPR training.
    • Remain up to date with CPR, first aid, and van driver training.
    • Stimulate resident's mental development and memory with daily historical novels to reduce memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease
    • Transport individuals to and from work and school, assist individuals with their ADL s and assist with preparing meals.
  6. Prepare your assisted living administrator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assisted living administrator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assisted living administrator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable assisted living administrator resume templates

    Build a professional assisted living administrator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assisted living administrator resume.
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
    Assisted Living Administrator Resume
  7. Apply for assisted living administrator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assisted living administrator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first assisted living administrator job

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Average assisted living administrator salary

The average assisted living administrator salary in the United States is $28,196 per year or $14 per hour. Assisted living administrator salaries range between $21,000 and $36,000 per year.

Average assisted living administrator salary
$28,196 Yearly
$13.56 hourly

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How do assisted living administrators rate their job?

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Assisted living administrator reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros

Very fulfilling and rewarding


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Learning how they’ve experience life good and bad but they always remained happy. How you can do anything in life if you believe then you can achieve it.

Cons

When they are scared because of experiences they may have encountered from someone else.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Working with the patient's and enjoying helping out what they need done..

Cons

Dogs in homes


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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