Your Pay

It’s a natural question for anyone, including facility executives: What can I do to improve my pay?

One way to start is to examine the factors that influence facility executive pay. The size and type of the space managed, number of employees overseen and size of the facility department’s budget all will impact pay.

Consider the salary range of facility/building managers, for example. The SalaryBase online salary survey shows the median salary for facility/building managers is $60,000, though the salaries included a low of $24,000 and topped out at $138,000.

Salary data were gathered through SalaryBase, an online survey on FacilitiesNet, the Web site of Building Operating Management and Maintenance Solutions magazines. Data analyzed for this article was submitted between August 2005 and July 2006 and included 1,167 responses.

With a $114,000 spread between the high and low points for facility/building managers — and similarly large salary ranges throughout the industry — there is clearly room for many facility professionals to increase their salary. But how?

While market factors such as building size and type have an impact on salary, there are things facility executives can do to make themselves more marketable. SalaryBase data show that the type and years of experience a facility executive has, along with a facility executive’s certifications and education, can sway salary numbers.

Seeking Soft Skills

Facility executives who develop the ability to communicate with a variety of people, from engineers and CFOs to business unit heads and tenants, and learn the ability to make business decisions, put themselves in a position to increase their earning power.

“A pure whiz-bang technician just isn’t going to cut it anymore, because if that is all a company is looking for, an outsourcing company will take it on for probably half or three quarters of what you would cost them,” says Wesley Easly, director at Specialty Consultants in Pittsburgh, Penn., and former chairman of CoreNet Global’s Compensation Committee.

Companies are increasingly looking for facility executives with solid business skills who can help manage the expectations of demanding tenants or business units, says Easly.

“This is a customer service business. You have to have people skills,” says Larry Morgan, who recently left his position as operations manager for the Westfield San Francisco Centre to become a operations and training consultant for corporate, commercial and hospitality facilities.

Developing the ability to plan strategically is also important, Easly says. Facility executives who can establish ties and communicate with tenants and business units will find themselves better able to plan for future needs.

And facility executives who can communicate with business units to find out what their needs will be in two or three years will be in a better position to develop alternate approaches if the business units make unrealistic requests.

“As business units have grown and become more and more demanding, they almost expect the impossible from a real estate provider,” Easly says. “You almost have to talk them into reality.”

A technical background is also important for many facility executives. But for successful facility executives, the technical background is a foundation that supports the soft skills.

“As you get into larger organizations the skill sets change,” says John Harrod, physical plant director for the University of Wisconsin - Madison. “It becomes not only what you bring as a technician, but also what you have in your professional toolbox when it comes to leadership and problem solving.”

Developing Experience

It’s no surprise that facility executives with more experience will earn more than those who are just entering the job market. A candidate with experience is likely to contribute more quickly to the organization.

“Employers recognize they need to have someone who can get on board and get up to speed quickly,” says Morgan. “The training curve is really shallow.”

The median salary for facility professionals with 8 years or less experience is $50,000, while the median salary for those with 16 years of experience or more is $70,000, an increase of 40 percent, according to SalaryBase.

For facility executives looking to move up, not just any experience will do. Spending decades in the same position, for example, could harm a candidate, Easly says.

“When it comes to positions outside the public sector, in the executive recruiting world it is seen as a negative to spend more than ten years in one place because it means you cling to security as opposed to being entrepreneurial,” he says.

Nor should facility executives who have spent years on the job take their positions for granted. Easly says several facility executives have approached him after having their positions eliminated because of outsourcing.

And facility executives who have long tenure may find themselves dusting off an outdated resume and feeling rusty when it comes to job interviews, placing them at a disadvantage.

“If you go ten or more years without an interview you might find you can’t carry on a conversation with the interviewer because you don’t open yourself up to that kind of dialog,” Easly says.

Harrod says candidates who have varied experience on their resumes stand a better chance to advance. “The real key is applying previous knowledge and experience in real life situations. That’s why diversity of experience is important,” he says.

No Pain, No Gain

Sometimes facility executives need to take on some short-term pain to develop the experience that will lead to salary gain. That means being willing to move to second-tier cities or consider working for companies that may not have a headline-grabbing name.

But for younger facility executives, or those looking for a salary boost, the move can pay off because established facility executives often ignore such opportunities, Easly says. Taking such a position allows a candidate to build experience that might otherwise have taken years to gain.

“There are less desirable companies that have suffered financially or in terms of reputation where you can get a chance to prove yourself,” Easly says. “You can always leave after the fact, but the experience you get in the meantime of turning something around can be really valuable.”

Some facility executives may find there is no substitute for a college degree, whether it is an undergraduate or a master’s degree.

The average facility professional with a Bachelor’s degree or higher earned $65,000 according to SalaryBase, an increase of 26 percent compared to those without a degree. The gap was even higher for the title of vice president or director of facilities — having a degree brought directors a salary 34 percent higher.

Like many facility executives, Morgan, who recently turned 50, entered the job market when it wasn’t expected that facility executives earn college degrees. “When I got into the business, I missed the opportunity to get a formal degree. There weren’t any degrees in the system for facilities management or building management.”

That doesn’t mean facility executives without degrees haven’t found their way to the top of organizations. But for some candidates, not having a degree will close doors. “It’s always advisable to either finish a degree or obtain it in the first place,” says Easly.

For example, Easly says one recent candidate found himself out of the running because he lacked a degree. The reason? If hired, the candidate would have found himself supervising a number of young staff-level engineers, all of whom had degrees. Not having a degree would have made it challenging to establish authority given the corporate culture, he says.
Getting Certified

Attaining relevant certifications or designations demonstrates a facility executive’s commitment to staying engaged with the industry, says Morgan. Examples include the International Facility Management Associations’ (IFMA) Certified Facility Manager (CFM) certification or Building Owners and Managers Institute’s Facility Management Administrator designation.
Attaining a certification or designation can also help earn a pay raise. Last year, those with an industry certification earned an average of 24 percent more than those without it, according to SalaryBase.

Facility executives who earn IFMA’s CFM credential have salaries 13 percent higher than those without it, says Mary Reynolds, IFMA’s director of professional development.

Other Certification Benefits

For facility executives who enter the industry with a general business background, a certification or designation can add confidence that they won’t be overwhelmed, even though they are entering from outside the industry.

“The certification becomes a kind of guarantee to a company that a person has a certain level of expertise,” Reynolds says.

IFMA’s Facility Management Professional designation, for example, is aimed at those who enter facilities management from outside the field, or who have less than five years experience in facilities management.

In addition, some companies have been willing to help pay for the cost of certification because the program is more substantial than a single certificate course, Reynolds says.

Certification and designation programs also offer an opportunity for networking and mentoring that facility executives may not find within their own company, she says.

Surging energy prices have put facility executives with energy management skills in demand, Easly says. Facility executives who earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED AP accreditation make themselves especially marketable, he says.

Facility executives who are considering a move up should have their resumes up to date and their network of contacts active, and should be prepared for job interviews.

Some of the most successful candidates pay attention to those details throughout their employment. Doing so keeps facility executives positioned for change. Being prepared can also reduce uncertainty if the unexpected occurs.

Easly recommends that facility executives ask themselves periodically: “Am I in my comfort zone?”

“If you are in your comfort zone, chances are you should probably move out of it,” he says. “The comfort zone is one step from being cycled out of the industry.”

Job Titles VICE PRESIDENT OR DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES Median salary: $90,000 Range: $40,000 to $250,000 Median Salary by Certification: With certification: $93,000 Without certification: $84,000 Median Salary by Education: With Bachelor’s or higher: $95,000 Without Bachelor’s: $71,000 Median Salary by Facility Size: Less than 1 million sq. ft.: $80,200 1 million sq. ft. or more: $102,000 Median Salary by Facility Budget: Below $20 million: $83,000 Above $20 million: $125,000 Median Salary by Experience: Less than 9 years: $85,000 9 to 15 years: $80,000 16 years or more: $98,000 Median Salary by Staff Size: Less than 25: $78,000 25 to 99: $85,750 100 or more: $100,000 Salary Snapshot Facilities Vice President or Director responsible for 1-2 million sq. ft. of medical space in Michigan with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 50-99. Does not have certification. Master’s in liberal arts, 25 years or more experience. Salary: $116,000 VICE PRESIDENT OR DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE Median salary: $100,000 Range: $50,000 to $310,000 Salary Snapshot Vice President or Director of Real Estate responsible for 500,000-1 million sq. ft. of corporate office space in New Jersey with a budget of less than $1 million and a staff of 1-5. Has certification, Bachelor’s in business, 25 years or more experience. Salary: $125,000 VICE PRESIDENT OR DIRECTOR OF FACILITY ENGINEERING Median salary: $80,000 Range: $50,000 to $220,000 Salary Snapshot Vice President or Director of Maintenance Engineering responsible for 500,000-1 million sq. ft. of hospitality space in Florida with a budget of $5-$10 million and a staff of 1-5. Does not have certification or Bachelor’s degree. 25 years or more experience. Salary: $106,000 VICE PRESIDENT OR DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING Median salary: $68,000 Range: $35,000 to $150,000 Salary Snapshot Vice President or Director of Facility Engineering responsible for 100,000-250,000 sq. ft. of medical space in California with a budget of $10-$20 million and a staff of 25-49. Has certification, does not have a degree. 20-24 years experience. Salary: $88,000 VICE PRESIDENT OR DIRECTOR OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS Median salary: $60,000 Range: $42,000 to $80,000 Salary Snapshot Vice President or Director of Buildings and Grounds responsible for 100,000-250,000 sq. ft. of K-12 space in Utah with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 25-49. Does not have certification. Bachelor’s in liberal arts, 12-15 years experience. Salary: $64,000 DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL PLANT Median salary: $75,000 Range: $34,000 to $120,000 Salary Snapshot Director of Physical Plant responsible for 500,000-1 million sq. ft. of municipal government space in Michigan with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 25-49. Does not have certification. Associate’s in interior design, 12-15 years experience. Salary: $82,000 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL PLANT Median salary: $57,500 Range: $30,000 to $90,000 Salary Snapshot Assistant Director of Physical Plant responsible for 2-3 million sq. ft. of higher education space in Texas with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 50-99. Does not have certification. PhD in facility management, 25 years or more experience. Salary: $78,000 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS SUPERINTENDENT Median salary: $42,000 Range: $21,000 to $90,000 Salary Snapshot Buildings and Grounds Superintendent responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of higher education space in Georgia with a budget of $40-$50 million and 13-24 staff. Has certification, Bachelor’s in facility management, 20-24 years experience. Salary: $53,000 FACILITY OR BUILDING MANAGER Median salary: $60,000 Range: $24,000 to $138,000 Median Salary by Certification: With certification: $70,000 Without certification: $56,000 Median Salary by Education: With Bachelor’s or higher: $63,250 Without Bachelor’s: $57,000 Median Salary by Facility Size: Less than 1 million sq. ft.: $60,000 1 million sq. ft. or more: $74,000 Median Salary by Facility Budget: Below $20 million: $60,000 Above $20 million: $83,500 Median Salary by Experience: Less than 9 years: $52,000 9 to 15 years: $60,000 16 years or more: $72,000 Median Salary by Staff Size: Less than 25: $56,000 25 to 99: $74,000 100 or more: $88,000 Salary Snapshot Facility or Building Manager responsible for 250,000-500,000 sq. ft. of corporate office space in Virginia with a budget of $5-$10 million and a staff of 1-5. Does not have certification. Master’s in business, 16-19 years experience. Salary: $85,000 ENERGY MANAGER Median salary: $52,500 Range: $30,000 to $80,000 Salary Snapshot Energy Manager responsible for less than 100,000 sq. ft. of medical space in New York with a budget of less than $1 million and no staff. Does not have certification. Master’s in facility management, less than one year experience. Salary: $60,000 PROJECT MANAGER Median salary: $64,750 Range: $37,000 to $109,000 Salary Snapshot Project Manager responsible for 1-2 million sq. ft. of corporate office space in Illinois with a budget of $10-$20 million and a staff of 25-49. Has certification. Bachelor’s in engineering, 20-24 years experience. Salary: $75,000 PLANT OR OPERATIONS MANAGER Median salary: $70,000 Range: $28,000 to $105,000 Salary Snapshot Plant or Operations Manager responsible for 1-2 million sq. ft. of leased commercial space in Oregon with a budget of $5-$10 million and a staff of 50-99. Does not have certification. Associate’s in engineering, 25 or more years experience. Salary: $80,000 MAINTENANCE MANAGER Median salary: $50,000 Range: $25,000 to $140,000 Salary Snapshot Maintenance Manager responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of K-12 space in Texas with a budget of less than $1 million and a staff of 25-49. Has certification, Associate’s in engineering, 16-19 years experience. Salary: $65,000 ASSET MANAGER Median salary: $76,000 Range: $30,000 to $115,000 Salary Snapshot Asset Manager responsible for 100,000-250,000 sq. ft. of corporate office space in California with a budget of $5-$10 million and a staff of 1-5. Has certification, Master’s in business, 16-19 years experience. Salary: $95,000 SENIOR PROPERTY MANAGER Median salary: $74,000 Range: $32,000 to $108,000 Salary Snapshot Senior Property Manager responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of K-12 space in Maryland with a budget of $50 million or more and a staff of 300 or more. Has certification, Master’s in architecture, 12-15 years experience. Salary: $79,000 PROPERTY MANAGER Median salary: $58,625 Range: $25,000 to $108,000 Median Salary by Certification: With certification: $62,000 Without certification: $51,250 Median Salary by Education: With Bachelor’s or higher: $60,000 Without Bachelor’s: $52,000 Median Salary by Facility Size: Less than 1 million sq. ft.: $53,000 1 million sq. ft. or more: $77,000 Median Salary by Facility Budget: Below $20 million: $56,125 Above $20 million: $75,100 Median Salary by Experience: Less than 9 years: $50,000 9 to 15 years: $70,000 16 years or more: $63,000 Median Salary by Staff Size: Less than 25: $53,000 25 to 99: $74,500 100 or more: $68,125 Salary Snapshot Property Manager responsible for 500,000-1 million sq. ft. of retail space in Kentucky with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 50-99. Does not have certification or Bachelor’s degree. 4-8 years experience. Salary: $75,000 ASSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER Median salary: $42,000 Range: $23,000 to $55,000 Salary Snapshot Assistant Property Manager responsible for 100,000-250,000 sq. ft. of corporate office space in Virginia with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 1-5. Does not have certification. Bachelor’s in business, 1-3 years experience. Salary: $49,000 FACILITY COORDINATOR/SUPERVISOR Median salary: $45,000 Range: $18,000 to $85,000 Median Salary by Certification: With certification: $57,500 Without certification: $44,000 Median Salary by Education: With Bachelor’s or higher: $50,000 Without Bachelor’s: $45,500 Median Salary by Facility Size: Less than 1 million sq. ft.: $43,000 1 million sq. ft. or more: $56,250 Median Salary by Facility Budget: Below $20 million: $44,000 Above $20 million: $62,500 Median Salary by Experience: Less than 9 years: $43,000 9 to 15 years: $50,000 16 years or more: $51,000 Median Salary by Staff Size: Less than 25: $43,000 25 to 99: $54,250 100 or more: $67,500 Salary Snapshot Facility Coordinator/Supervisor responsible for 2-3 million sq. ft. of medical space in Wisconsin with a budget of $50 million or more and a staff of 6-12. Has certification. Bachelor’s in interior design, 9-12 years experience. Salary: $55,000 SPACE PLANNER Median salary: $50,000 Range: $29,000 to $85,000 Salary Snapshot Space Planner responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of state government space in Minnesota with a budget of $50 million or more and a staff of 13-24. Does not have certification. Bachelor’s in architecture, 12-15 years experience. Salary: $54,000 CHIEF ENGINEER Median salary: $65,000 Range: $48,000 to $108,000 Salary Snapshot Chief Engineer responsible for 1-2 million sq. ft. of hospitality space in Georgia with a budget of $1-$5 million and a staff of 25-49. Does not have certification. Associate’s in engineering, 16-19 years experience. Salary: $79,000 BUILDING OR FACILITY ENGINEER Median salary: $55,000 Range: $21,000 to $140,000 Salary Snapshot Maintenance Engineer responsible for 100,000-250,000 sq. ft. of K-12 space in Minnesota with a budget of less than $1 million and no staff. Does not have certification or degree. 4-8 years experience. Salary: $40,000 MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR Median salary: $47,500 Range: $21,000 to $96,000 Salary Snapshot Maintenance Supervisor responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of medical space in Texas with a budget of $50 million or more and a staff of 25-49. Has certification, does not have a degree. 9-12 years experience. Salary: $53,500 MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Median salary: $41,500 Range: $22,000 to $80,000 Salary Snapshot Maintenance Technician responsible for 5 million or more sq. ft. of higher education space in California with a budget of $40-$50 million and a staff of 25-49. Does not have certification. Bachelor’s in facility management, 25 years or more experience. Salary: $54,000

Impact of Certification, Education Varies by Building Type A breakdown of SalaryBase responses shows that facility professionals with certification or higher levels of education — a Bachelor’s degree or higher — earn significantly more than their peers without certification or with lower levels of education. But these breakdowns include salaries for a range of job titles, and they reflect the effects of more than just certification or education. For example, facility professionals with a higher title are more often certified, and a higher title generally brings a pay increase. Among vice presidents or directors of facilities that completed the SalaryBase survey, for example, 42 percent have certification; among facility or building managers, however, only 29 percent have certification; and among facility coordinators, the percentage of those certified falls to 17 percent. The median salary for a vice president or director of facilities is $90,000; for a facility or building manager, $60,000; and for a facility coordinator or supervisor, $45,000. The same pattern can be seen for education: 74 percent of vice presidents or directors of facilities who completed the SalaryBase survey have a Bachelor’s degree or higher; the number is 45 percent for facility or building managers and 38 percent for facility coordinators or supervisors. Still, a look at the SalaryBase data shown below suggests that some types of organizations pay more than others for certification. What’s more, SalaryBase clearly shows that facility professionals in any industry who obtain certification or a Bachelor’s degree or higher are on a track that will lead to higher salaries. CERTIFICATION PREMIUM The SalaryBase median salary for facility professionals without certification is $54,000. The SalaryBase median salary with certification is $67,000 — a certification premium of 24 percent. Commercial (Corporate Office) Without Certification: $55,000 With Certification: $75,000 Premium for certification: 36 percent (32 percent of respondents have certification) Commercial (Leased Space) Without Certification: $50,000 With Certification: $62,000 Premium for certification: 24 percent (32 percent of respondents have certification) Educational (K-12) Without Certification: $49,500 With Certification: $62,500 Premium for certification: 26 percent (43 percent of respondents have certification) Educational (Higher Education) Without Certification: $55,500 With Certification: $63,000 Premium for certification: 14 percent (34 percent of respondents have certification) Industrial Without Certification: $60,000 With Certification: $75,000 Premium for certification: 25 percent (26 percent of respondents have certification) Medical Without Certification: $52,000 With Certification: $67,000 Premium for certification: 29 percent (38 percent of respondents have certification) PREMIUM FOR HIGHER EDUCATION The SalaryBase median salary for facility professionals without a bachelor’s degree is $51,650. The median salary with a bachelor’s degree or higher is $65,000 — a premium of 26 percent. Commercial (Corporate Office) Without Bachelor’s Degree: $55,000 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $75,000 Premium for degree: 36 percent (53 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher) Commercial (Leased Space) Without Bachelor’s Degree: $50,000 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $60,000 Premium for degree: 20 percent (41 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher) Educational (K-12) Without Bachelor’s Degree: $46,500 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $65,500 Premium for degree: 41 percent (37 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher) Educational (Higher Education) Without Bachelor’s Degree: $45,000 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $65,000 Premium for degree: 44 percent (66 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher) Industrial Without Bachelor’s Degree: $56,750 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $79,000 Premium for degree: 39 percent (41 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher) Medical Without Bachelor’s Degree: $51,000 With Bachelor’s or Higher: $80,000 Premium for degree: 57 percent (38 percent of respondents have Bachelor’s degree or higher)

Survey Methodology This report is based on responses to the online SalaryBase survey on FacilitiesNet, the Web site of Building Operating Management and Maintenance Solutions magazines. This report is based on data submitted between Aug. 1, 2005 and July 31, 2006. More than 1,150 responses were analyzed for this survey report. Those participating in the SalaryBase survey were not selected at random. All data submitted is based on the desire of those visiting SalaryBase to share how much they make and information about a few variables that might influence their pay. If a respondent submitted what appeared to be an exorbitantly high or low salary, the response was thrown out of the data set. More detailed salary breakdowns are provided for job titles that received the largest number of responses. The facility/building manager category received the most responses and the information is broken down in greater detail for that title than for any others.

Want to see how much your colleagues earn? Want to contribute to the growing body of data that is helping facility executives see how they stack up against others in the industry? Visit www.facilitiesnet.com/salarybase to participate in the online survey of salaries paid to facility professionals. The SalaryBase survey takes less than two minutes to complete. You can also search SalaryBase to find out how much a wide range of job titles are paid. The search can also be customized by such factors as region, certification, education level, or building type, size and budget.

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