How to hire a residential manager

How to hire a residential manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step residential 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 residential manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new residential manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a residential manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your residential 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 residential 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 residential manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, residential 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 residential managers.

   Type of Residential Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Residential Manager	Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations. They manage staff who provide social services to the public.	$13-25
   Program Officer	A program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets... Show more	$25-56
   Communications Lead	The global senior program manager acts as a coordinator for the organization's projects and performs various tasks including supervision, account management, daily staff assignments, budget planning, cost control, and tracking program expenses by collaborating with various global departments to enhance all global programs. He/she should have excellent analytical, decision-making, leadership, and organization skills and knowledge about project management to be able to oversee and organize activities to ensure its compliance with the organization's goals.	$32-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Oversight
   • Incident Reports
   • Foster Care
   • Autism
   • Adaptive
   • Mental Health
   • Staff Training
   • Medication Administration
   • OSHA
   • Direct Supervision
   • Residential Program
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Direct Support Professionals

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate in all IHP/IPP meetings; ensure group home staff helps residents achieve IHP goals and continually monitor progress make.
   • Manage daily operation of residential group home and over see staff, client programming, activities, and residential ADL's.
   • Manage a residential facility for adolescents with severe autism and psychiatric conditions.
   • Facilitate weekly/biweekly meetings with house coordinators, community agencies to provide services.
   • Help integrate the behavior modification milieu with DBT.
   • Develop and implement learning programs for residents with autism, schizophrenia, and other mental disabilities.

   More residential manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your residential manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A residential manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a residential manager in Kansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level residential manager usually earns less than a senior-level residential manager. Additionally, a residential manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average residential manager salary

   $39,112yearly

   $18.80 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level residential manager salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average residential manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$46,753	$22
   2	Oregon	$43,470	$21
   3	New York	$41,095	$20
   4	Connecticut	$40,782	$20
   5	Ohio	$40,500	$19
   6	Rhode Island	$39,923	$19
   7	Massachusetts	$37,406	$18
   8	Indiana	$37,305	$18
   9	Georgia	$36,757	$18
   10	Colorado	$36,008	$17
   11	Nevada	$35,901	$17
   12	North Carolina	$33,491	$16
   13	Utah	$33,291	$16
   14	Florida	$32,366	$16
   15	Tennessee	$31,160	$15

   Average residential manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Kennedy Center Inc.	$47,261	$22.72	1
   2	GPAC	$44,712	$21.50
   3	Deborah's Place	$44,511	$21.40	2
   4	Chemung Arc	$43,897	$21.10
   5	Horizon Behavioral Health	$43,402	$20.87
   6	Los Angeles LGBT Center	$42,952	$20.65
   7	Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey	$42,102	$20.24
   8	Camino Nuevo Charter Academy	$41,852	$20.12
   9	Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York	$40,957	$19.69
   10	Crisis Center for South Suburbia	$40,851	$19.64
   11	AHRC New York City Foundation	$40,682	$19.56	4
   12	NewHavenYFS	$40,113	$19.29	1
   13	The Arc of Rensselaer County	$40,074	$19.27
   14	Archdiocese of Philadelphia	$40,063	$19.26	10
   15	The Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts	$39,968	$19.22	3
   16	Eliot Community Human Services Inc	$39,535	$19.01	8
   17	PSEA	$39,340	$18.91
   18	St. Luke's Health System	$39,324	$18.91	1
   19	Gateway Hudson Valley	$39,184	$18.84
   20	Arc Human Services	$38,843	$18.67	3

4. Writing a residential manager job description

   A residential 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. Below, you can find an example of a residential manager job description:

   Residential manager job description example

   $500 Hiring Bonus! Weekend and Holiday Premium Pay!

   Residential Services, Inc. (RSI) is currently recruiting qualified applicants who are looking to use their degree and IDD experience to further their career!!

   RSI, guided by our Core Values, supports people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Orange County, NC. We are seeking the next energetic and self-motivated person to join our team. We are excited to add additional help to our team and find the next person to further our mission!

   Our Core Values:

   We Care About People | We Build Relationships | We Respond We Lead by Example | We Enjoy What We Do

   Supervisor Job Summary:

   1) Coordinate the development of residents' ongoing daily schedules within a group home setting according to their Individual Support Plans.

   2) Provide support and supervision of RSI residents to lead self-directed lives and to participate fully in their home and community environments.

   3) Create a hospitable and professional work environment and function as a positive role model for residents and staff.

   4) Promote health, safety, and wellness of all residents.

   5) Provide supervision to employees, including hiring and evaluating staff.

   6) Promote RSI's Mission, Vision, Values, and Policies &Procedures.

   7) Ensure proper care and maintenance of assigned building, grounds, and vehicle.

   Flexibility needed to work various hours including 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift.

   Benefits:

   Employees enjoy the benefit of a fun, casual work environment based on teamwork. $500 hiring bonus! On-call Stipend, hourly pay for direct support work, weekend premium pay, paid training, Employee Referral Bonus ($300 per new hire!), health/dental/life/vision insurance, Short-term disability/Accidental coverage, Paid Time Off (15 days per year), Employee Assistance Plan, Educational Assistance and more!

   Minimum Qualifications:

   Bachelor's Degree in a human service related field and at least two years of supervised experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, supervisory experience, and a valid driver's license.

   OR

   Bachelor's Degree in a field other than one related to developmental disabilities and at least four years of supervised experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, supervisory experience, and a valid driver's license.

   To apply and learn more visit our website at: jobs.rsi-nc.org
   

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right residential manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit residential managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 residential manager

   Once you've selected the best residential manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new residential manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 residential manager?