How to hire a residential program manager

How to hire a residential program manager, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The residential program manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a residential program manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a residential program manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of residential program managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Residential Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Residential Program 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.	$14-30
   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
   Youth Coordinator	A youth coordinator is mainly focused on developing and facilitating programs for children in various settings that enhance and support personal youth education and development. As a youth coordinator, you need to understand recreational and Educational Services and activities with strong leadership skills... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Residential Program
   • Mental Health
   • Oversight
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Autism
   • Social Work
   • CPR
   • Intellectual Disabilities
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Medication Administration
   • Residential Facilities
   • Mental Illness
   • Substance Abuse
   • Incident Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage program budgets and supervise staff to ensure that immunization and registry activities are successfully implement.
   • Attend and conduct ISP meetings, semi-annual and annually, and revise plans as needed for each individual.
   • Provide direct client support and advocacy including, but not limit to annual and semi-annual service coordination (ISP) meetings.
   • Provide oversight to direct care staff with individual's integration into the community by arranging transportation to recreational and social activities.
   • Counsele customers on credit repair for homeownership and debt management.

   More residential program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the residential program manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A residential program 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 residential program manager in South Carolina may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level residential program manager. Additionally, a residential program manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average residential program manager salary

   $45,207yearly

   $21.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level residential program manager salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average residential program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$57,224	$28
   2	California	$56,576	$27
   3	New York	$52,885	$25
   4	Virginia	$51,839	$25
   5	Oregon	$48,677	$23
   6	Illinois	$48,675	$23
   7	Maryland	$44,945	$22
   8	Massachusetts	$43,634	$21
   9	Pennsylvania	$43,121	$21
   10	Connecticut	$42,380	$20
   11	Hawaii	$42,299	$20
   12	Colorado	$40,503	$19
   13	Minnesota	$38,413	$18
   14	Maine	$38,172	$18
   15	Texas	$35,830	$17

   Average residential program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	New York State Restaurant Association	$60,421	$29.05
   2	Minnesota State Fair	$57,690	$27.74	18
   3	Leidos	$52,442	$25.21	150
   4	Edgewater Behavioral Health Services d/b/a/ Edgewater Systems for	$51,429	$24.73
   5	Hope House	$47,802	$22.98	5
   6	Telecare	$46,704	$22.45	17
   7	Jubilee Ministries	$46,175	$22.20
   8	Lifespan	$45,942	$22.09	3
   9	LifeStream Behavioral Center	$43,930	$21.12	1
   10	Horizon Services	$43,573	$20.95	13
   11	Hoyleton Youth And Family Services	$43,382	$20.86	5
   12	The Arc of Washington County	$42,922	$20.64
   13	Servicenet Inc.	$42,360	$20.37
   14	Catholic Charities Health and Human Services	$42,334	$20.35
   15	Pathlight	$41,946	$20.17
   16	The Arc Mid-Hudson	$41,665	$20.03
   17	Cab Health & Recovery	$41,665	$20.03
   18	Cornerstone	$41,571	$19.99	3
   19	CODA	$41,439	$19.92	3
   20	Arc of Onondaga	$40,683	$19.56

4. Writing a residential program manager job description

   A residential program 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 residential program manager job description:

   Residential program manager job description example

   Non-Exempt: $21.72 - $23.78/hour

   The people we care for come from all walks of life, and so do we. We strive to diversify our workforce, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our agency stronger!

   About Us

   With a history stretching back more than 70 years, AccessCNY is continually growing and expanding our reach. Offering person-centered services that empower individuals of all ages and abilities to reach their full potential as part of our community. Our focus is supporting individuals by ways of residential housing, mental health and clinical services, and immersing our participants in community engagement. Working closely with the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the Office of Mental Health, we support 27 housing locations and 3 administrative buildings.

   About the Role

   We are looking for a proactive employee to use their own experiences and judgement to carry out the mission of the certified residential program.

   • Monitoring the provision of services for participants
   • Managing program expenses in keeping with budget guidelines
   • Maintaining appropriate records and preparing necessary reports
   • Supervision of assigned staff

   Education & Experience

   Associate’s degree in Human Service field plus 1 year experience working with individuals with disabilities (preferred), OR high school diploma/GED plus 2 years’ experience working with individuals with disabilities. Supervisory experience preferred.

   
   

   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

   Excellent verbal and written communication skills required. Basic word processing and e-mail skills required. Knowledge of Office of People with Developmental Disabilities services preferred.

   
   

   Conditions of Employment

   Must have valid driver’s license and transportation necessary to meet program needs. Must be able to lift 75 pounds.

   Did you know that AccessCNY offers great health, dental and vision insurance? Additionally we provide a 401(k) match upon hire, PTO, and 11 paid holidays.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right residential program 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 program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit residential program 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 residential program 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.

   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 program manager

   Once you've selected the best residential program 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 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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