How To Become A Facilities Administrator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a facilities administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Bill McGinley

Facilities administrators work under the supervision of facility managers carrying out clerical tasks. They are there to assist in any office procedure necessary, including taking on receptionist or data entry tasks if whenever needed.

They work towards making sure that office practices are carried out accurately and in a timely manner while ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive files and information. They, arrange, copy, or mail files, and they also handle correspondence and perform other general office duties.

This is an entry-level position that does not require specialized education or extensive experience. As long as you are happy working with other people and have the patience and attention span this job requires, you can get hired with a high school diploma.

What general advice would you give to a facilities administrator?

Bill McGinley

President & CEO, American College of Health Care Administrators

LTC administrators should have at least a bachelor's degree in business or a healthcare-related field. A well-rounded internship that exposes the future administrator to all aspects of the operation is essential. Needed skills include business, marketing, finance, operations, management and leadership.
Post pandemic opportunities will be nationwide in this field with a greater need in rural areas.
Technology will continue to play a big role in the field. Computerized medical records, census management, and all clinical areas will continue to dominate. Online meetings are liable to continue as well, as employers realize that there is a savings to be gained by not having people travel to meetings and conferences.

ScoreFacilities AdministratorUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,272

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 8.77%

Black or African American 8.88%

Hispanic or Latino 12.57%

Unknown 5.08%

White 64.38%

Gender

female 59.20%

male 40.80%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a facilities administrator

Explore facilities administrator education requirements

Most common facilities administrator degrees

Bachelor's

53.5 %

Associate

22.4 %

Master's

14.2 %

Start to develop specific facilities administrator skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	16.25%
Patient Care	12.04%
Customer Service	8.98%
Oversight	5.55%
Payroll	4.75%

Complete relevant facilities administrator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New facilities administrators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a facilities administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real facilities administrator resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed facilities administrator usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed facilities administrator in most of states. 43 states require facilities administrators to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Maryland	Degree required	Third-party exam required	NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATOR
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Nursing Home Administrator
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nursing Home Administrator
Arkansas	Specific course required	Both state and third-party exams required	Nursing Home Administrator
California	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Nursing Home Administrator

Gain additional facilities administrator certifications

Facilities 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 facilities administrator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for facilities administrators include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Facility Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research facilities administrator duties and responsibilities

Participate in and leads QA meetings and all applicable in-services.
Lead new business development initiatives as well as budget preparation and oversight.
Develop and manage operational budget to ensure financial viability of facilities, meeting payroll, daily operational and capital expenditures needs.
Identify areas of improvement and implement plan of corrections; while adhering to HIPPA, CMS, and CDPH guidelines.

Prepare your facilities administrator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your facilities 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 a facilities 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 facilities administrator resume templates

Build a professional facilities 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 facilities administrator resume.