How to hire a building manager

How to hire a building manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step building manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a building manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new building manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a building manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your building manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a building manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A building manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, building managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of building managers.

   Type of Building Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Building Manager	Property, real estate, and community association managers take care of the many aspects of residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They make sure the property is well maintained, has a nice appearance, and preserves its resale or leasing value.	$17-56
   Leasing Professional	A Leasing Professional is responsible for handling and coordinating with potential tenants for rental purposes. Leasing Professionals discuss the leasing terms and agreements with the clients, conduct property inspections, and identify possible repairs and renovations... Show more	$12-19
   Director Of Property Management	A director of property management oversees and directs the property management programs and projects of an organization. They take the lead in identifying and meeting the needs of different facilities, researching client and business opportunities, gathering and analyzing data from annual and monthly reports, coordinating with suppliers and contractors, and making significant decisions... Show more	$29-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Building Maintenance
   • Emergency Situations
   • HVAC
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Facilities Management
   • Emergency Procedures
   • Property Management
   • Building Management
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • PowerPoint
   • Windows
   • Building Operations
   • Front Desk
   • Square Foot Facility

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Demonstrate leadership, accountability, and teamwork when managing the budget by empowering staff members to participate in controlling expenditures.
   • Supervise electrical, plumbing, mechanical and general carpentry works.
   • Perform renovation repairs including painting, plastering, electrical and plumbing repairs.
   • Maintain cleanliness of common spaces; including garbage/recycling removal and snow removal.
   • Provide first aid and CPR as required.
   • Offer basic first aid and CPR when need.

   More building manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the building manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A building manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a building manager in Wyoming may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level building manager. Additionally, a building manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average building manager salary

   $66,595yearly

   $32.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level building manager salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average building manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$95,988	$46
   2	District of Columbia	$93,169	$45
   3	Virginia	$88,028	$42
   4	California	$87,715	$42
   5	New York	$87,479	$42
   6	Pennsylvania	$85,230	$41
   7	North Carolina	$84,720	$41
   8	Illinois	$71,862	$35
   9	Texas	$68,886	$33
   10	Michigan	$66,716	$32
   11	Wisconsin	$66,639	$32
   12	Indiana	$64,487	$31
   13	Ohio	$64,410	$31
   14	Utah	$62,327	$30
   15	Hawaii	$61,166	$29
   16	Iowa	$61,114	$29
   17	Arizona	$59,826	$29
   18	Missouri	$58,457	$28
   19	Puerto Rico	$55,062	$26
   20	Colorado	$49,677	$24

   Average building manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$164,376	$79.03	5
   2	AIG	$131,100	$63.03	1
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$126,076	$60.61	25
   4	IBM	$119,298	$57.35
   5	MacArthur Foundation	$108,351	$52.09
   6	BorgWarner	$105,281	$50.62
   7	Rivian	$96,508	$46.40
   8	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$87,219	$41.93	1
   9	Argonne National Laboratory	$86,471	$41.57	2
   10	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan	$84,757	$40.75
   11	Harvard University	$83,721	$40.25
   12	Rocky Mountain Institute	$82,679	$39.75
   13	BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina	$81,301	$39.09
   14	Cummins	$79,340	$38.14
   15	University of California	$78,063	$37.53
   16	CSC Holdings LLC	$77,396	$37.21
   17	University of Michigan	$72,592	$34.90
   18	Stanford University	$72,411	$34.81
   19	Alliance Global Services	$69,965	$33.64
   20	University of Southern California	$69,389	$33.36

4. Writing a building manager job description

   A building manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a building manager job description:

   Building manager job description example

   Thornton Tomasetti provides engineering design, investigation and analysis services to clients worldwide on projects of every size and level of complexity. We are a growing 1500+ person firm with 10 practices: Structural Engineering, Forensics, Applied Science, Renewal, Resilience, Construction Engineering, Protective Design and Security, Facade Engineering, Sustainability and Transportation. We work on everything from landmark buildings to small-scale specialty structures, from the historic to the high performing, while balancing multiple objectives, including form, function, schedule, sustainability, constructability and budget. TALENT is at the core of our business.
   
   Our Restoration & Renewal practice, Historic Preservation group investigate existing buildings' Envelope problems and provide evidence-based solutions. We provide the DOB FISP (Facade Inspection and Safety Program) services, including exterior wall examination from the boom lift, suspended scaffold and rope access. We prepare drawings and specifications for the required roof and facade repairs and provide technical support during bid and construction phase, with frequent site visits to review quality of work and conformance with contract documents, as well as special inspections. We assist property managers, building owners and design professionals with a wide range of engineering and architectural issues. Majority of our projects involve historic buildings and structures, but we also assist with contemporary buildings.
   
   Thornton Tomasetti has an exciting opportunity in the New York Office for a motivated and talented Historic Preservation/Building Envelope Manager, Architect, or Engineer with 7-10 years of experience, and an interest in historic preservation specializing in exterior restoration, preservation design and forensics. Projects range from cultural institutions to vintage high-rises, historic bridges and other civil engineering works, to adaptive reuse of industrial buildings. Project typologies range from early masonry construction to mid-century modern curtain walls.
   
   Tasks include condition assessments, developing material testing programs, report writing, developing repair strategies, preparing CD's and construction phase services. Team coordination would include working with design architects, structural engineers, conservators, testing labs, owners, owners representatives, and contractors. Additional in-house coordination would include TT's diverse disciplines, including protective design, facade engineering, structural design, and sustainability, as well as other TT offices around the US and Canada.
   Requirements:
   · Bachelor of Architecture (5-year program), Master of Architecture or BS in Civil Engineering. MS in Historic Preservation preferred.
   · Experience with facade assessments, CD's and construction phase services in field and office. Knowledge of conservation or preservation techniques preferred.
   · Project management.
   · Travel to jobsites around NYC metro area and greater Northeast.
   · AutoCAD experience. Knowledge of Revit, Photoshop, InDesign and Bluebeam preferred.
   
   Thornton Tomasetti is proud to be an equal employment workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Thornton Tomasetti are considered without regards to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
   
   (US Locations Only) In our culture of collaboration and innovation, we find we do our best work when we are together while minimizing the risks of COVID-19. For new hires at Thornton Tomasetti, we require COVID-19 vaccination to the extent allowed by access and permitted by government jurisdiction in your area and barring any religious or medically approved exemption.
   
   Thornton Tomasetti Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement
   Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at Thornton Tomasetti are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms.
   
   Please access the linked document by clicking here, select the country where you are applying for employment, and review. Before submitting your application you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find building managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your building manager job on Zippia to find and recruit building manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit building managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new building manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the building manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a building manager?