Senior Living and Assisted Living Salaries: A State-by-State Comparison

A group of people holding money in their hands

With so many employees leaving their jobs in the wake of the Great Resignation, it's essential to offer a competitive salary to attract and retain talent. However, salaries can vary widely based on a number of factors. How can you be sure that your senior living or assisted living community is offering an attractive enough compensation package to potential candidates? Regardless of your location in the U.S., we have all the information you need to determine the appropriate compensation that will make your community the top choice for top talent.

Common Roles in Senior Living and Assisted Living Communities

Before we look at the numbers, let’s first understand the typical job roles required in the senior care or assisted living community:

  • Senior living administrator: Oversees staff members, budget, and scheduling and is responsible for the safety and well-being of residents. The official title could be executive director, CEO, or president. 
  • Assisted living manager: Oversees daily operations, supervises employees, supports resident care, manages vendor relationships, and more. Could also be known as operations director or operations manager.
  • Marketing director: Markets and promotes the senior housing community to prospective residents and families, manages public relations, and schedules advertising.
  • Activities director: Responsible for scheduling and managing recreational or enriching activities for residents (and occasionally loved ones). An activities director is sometimes called an enrichment director.
  • Activities coordinator: Responsible for implementing the plan and schedule of the activities director. 
  • Director of nursing: Leads the team of caregivers in a senior living or assisted living community. Also known as a DON.
  • Registered nurse: Works exclusively with residents as a licensed caregiver to ensure continuity of care. Also known as an RN.
  • Licensed practical nurse: Offers basic medical care, takes vital signs, and helps with bathing or feeding. Also known as an LPN, a licensed practical nurse often reports to an RN.
  • Certified nursing assistant: Provides aid to RNs and LPNs by assisting in patient care. Also known as a CNA, this entry-level support role can help with resident transport, wound care, answering resident questions, and more. 
  • Maintenance director: Responsible for the maintenance staff and has a duty to keep the community clean, safe, and running smoothly. A senior living maintenance director is sometimes referred to as an assisted living director.
  • Dietary director: Responsible for managing the food service staff and creating healthy and nutritious dining options for residents. A dietary director is also known as a dietary manager or director of food service.

National Average Salaries for Senior Care Roles

Balancing your budget and managing your community’s finances is critical, but you also want to make sure you’re bringing in top-notch talent for your team. To help you make the best hiring decisions and find high-quality care, we’ve compiled the national U.S. average for each above role as of 2023. These numbers are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation's largest source of employee data. Take a look:

SENIOR CARE JOBS: NATIONAL AVERAGE SALARY

ROLE

U.S. NATIONAL AVG.

Senior Living Administrator

$102,900

Assisted Living Manager

$99,180

Marketing Director

$89,010

Activities Director

$60,400

Activities Coordinator

$34,670

Director of Nursing (DON)

$91,890

Registered Nurse (RN)

$77,180

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

$61,390

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

$37,650

Maintenance Director

$85,900

Dietary Director

$81,060

 

State-by-State Salary Comparison

With the national averages in mind, let’s get a better idea of the specific salaries in your area. We’ve gathered data from ZipRecruiter and Zippia to break down each senior care role in all 50 states:

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: SENIOR LIVING ADMINISTRATOR

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$66,170

Alaska

$75,356

Arizona

$68,031

Arkansas

$68,723

California

$75,373

Colorado

$86,844

Connecticut

$67,144

Delaware

$81,359

Florida

$54,553

Georgia

$61,642

Hawaii

$72,864

Idaho

$72,175

Illinois

$80,539

Indiana

$69,468

Iowa

$66,684

Kansas

$62,725

Kentucky

$72,868

Louisiana

$60,962

Maine

$73,516

Maryland

$78,765

Massachusetts

$92,417

Michigan

$71,868

Minnesota

$69,822

Mississippi

$66,619

Missouri

$76,739

Montana

$67,007

Nebraska

$77,003

Nevada

$71,253

New Hampshire

$71,697

New Jersey

$73,190

New Mexico

$69,538

New York

$80,429

North Carolina

$74,550

North Dakota

$74,242

Ohio

$67,899

Oklahoma

$74,571

Oregon

$74,256

Pennsylvania

$73,674

Rhode Island

$68,779

South Carolina

$76,121

South Dakota

$70,167

Tennessee

$64,824

Texas

$71,754

Utah

$64,824

Vermont

$78,653

Virginia

$80,068

Washington

$87,764

West Virginia

$56,899

Wisconsin

$72,395

Wyoming

$70,467

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: ASSISTED LIVING/OPERATIONS MANAGER

STATE 
AVERAGE SALARY
Alabama
$53,539
Alaska
$74,156
Arizona
$55,045
Arkansas
$54,503
California
$60,547
Colorado
$68,937
Connecticut
$54,632
Delaware
$64,736
Florida
$44,140
Georgia
$49,876
Hawaii
$59,349
Idaho
$57,939
Illinois
$63,874
Indiana
$56,208
Iowa
$54,203
Kansas
$51,065
Kentucky
$57,711
Louisiana
$49,518
Maine
$59,110
Maryland
$62,687
Massachusetts
$73,103
Michigan
$57,063
Minnesota
$56,716
Mississippi
$54,234
Missouri
$61,002
Montana
$54,216
Nebraska
$61,329
Nevada
$70,115
New Hampshire
$57,920
New Jersey
$59,341
New Mexico
$56,424
New York
$65,002
North Carolina
$59,238
North Dakota
$60,467
Ohio
$55,137
Oklahoma
$59,392
Oregon
$60,467
Pennsylvania
$59,546
Rhode Island
$56,008
South Carolina
$60,486
South Dakota
$57,147
Tennessee
$52,640
Texas
$57,564
Utah
$52,666
Vermont
$63,503
Virginia
$63,771
Washington
$70,341
West Virginia
$45,988
Wisconsin
$58,746
Wyoming
$56,977

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: MARKETING MANAGER/DIRECTOR

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$82,116

Alaska

$86,205

Arizona

$84,427

Arkansas

$64,939

California

$75,190

Colorado

$82,387

Connecticut

$78,169

Delaware

$77,965

Florida

$67,697

Georgia

$76,496

Hawaii

$83,741

Idaho

$71,795

Illinois

$76,101

Indiana

$86,209

Iowa

$78,530

Kansas

$72,501

Kentucky

$68,446

Louisiana

$72,370

Maine

$73,616

Maryland

$75,559

Massachusetts

$86,341

Michigan

$68,250

Minnesota

$82,890

Mississippi

$77,026

Missouri

$73,240

Montana

$83,154

Nebraska

$74,098

Nevada

$81,510

New Hampshire

$73,196

New Jersey

$88,753

New Mexico

$83,588

New York

$82,264

North Carolina

$71,029

North Dakota

$85,410

Ohio

$80,889

Oklahoma

$71,758

Oregon

$85,587

Pennsylvania

$75,368

Rhode Island

$79,274

South Carolina

$72,526

South Dakota

$80,721

Tennessee

$77,231

Texas

$71,189

Utah

$76,780

Vermont

$80,119

Virginia

$77,048

Washington

$86,730

West Virginia

$58,207

Wisconsin

$86,948

Wyoming

$88,109

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: DIRECTOR OF NURSING (DON)

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$91,692

Alaska

$127,000

Arizona

$94,271

Arkansas

$93,343

California

$103,694

Colorado

$118,063

Connecticut

$93,563

Delaware

$110,866

Florida

$75,595

Georgia

$85,419

Hawaii

$101,642

Idaho

$99,225

Illinois

$109,391

Indiana

$96,262

Iowa

$92,830

Kansas

$87,456

Kentucky

$98,838

Louisiana

$84,805

Maine

$101,232

Maryland

$107,358

Massachusetts

$125,197

Michigan

$97,728

Minnesota

$97,132

Mississippi

$92,883

Missouri

$104,473

Montana

$92,851

Nebraska

$105,033

Nevada

$120,079

New Hampshire

$99,194

New Jersey

$101,628

New Mexico

$96,631

New York

$111,324

North Carolina

$101,451

North Dakota

$103,555

Ohio

$94,427

Oklahoma

$101,716

Oregon

$103,558

Pennsylvania

$101,979

Rhode Island

$95,920

South Carolina

$103,590

South Dakota

$97,871

Tennessee

$90,151

Texas

$98,586

Utah

$90,196

Vermont

$108,757

Virginia

$109,214

Washington

$120,467

West Virginia

$78,760

Wisconsin

$100,610

Wyoming

$97,580

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: REGISTERED NURSE (RN)

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$76,359

Alaska

$86,057

Arizona

$78,508

Arkansas

$65,561

California

$87,901

Colorado

$83,291

Connecticut

$76,846

Delaware

$96,183

Florida

$62,954

Georgia

$71,134

Hawaii

$83,258

Idaho

$84,254

Illinois

$76,830

Indiana

$80,165

Iowa

$76,430

Kansas

$71,723

Kentucky

$68,959

Louisiana

$69,943

Maine

$85,622

Maryland

$93,085

Massachusetts

$86,826

Michigan

$69,023

Minnesota

$80,110

Mississippi

$76,179

Missouri

$74,196

Montana

$77,325

Nebraska

$90,909

Nevada

$81,370

New Hampshire

$82,932

New Jersey

$84,203

New Mexico

$79,910

New York

$92,968

North Carolina

$71,914

North Dakota

$84,843

Ohio

$77,937

Oklahoma

$88,039

Oregon

$84,878

Pennsylvania

$85,157

Rhode Island

$78,618

South Carolina

$73,430

South Dakota

$80,186

Tennessee

$74,408

Texas

$83,839

Utah

$74,352

Vermont

$91,051

Virginia

$94,528

Washington

$102,686

West Virginia

$65,767

Wisconsin

$83,184

Wyoming

$81,400

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE (LPN)

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$55,197

Alaska

$61,414

Arizona

$56,750

Arkansas

$46,696

California

$64,348

Colorado

$59,310

Connecticut

$54,990

Delaware

$56,287

Florida

$45,507

Georgia

$51,420

Hawaii

$59,459

Idaho

$61,751

Illinois

$54,722

Indiana

$57,948

Iowa

$54,790

Kansas

$51,266

Kentucky

$49,134

Louisiana

$50,203

Maine

$62,582

Maryland

$54,565

Massachusetts

$61,884

Michigan

$49,147

Minnesota

$57,501

Mississippi

$54,454

Missouri

$52,815

Montana

$55,895

Nebraska

$53,556

Nevada

$58,070

New Hampshire

$60,119

New Jersey

$60,643

New Mexico

$57,471

New York

$67,339

North Carolina

$51,195

North Dakota

$60,601

Ohio

$55,972

Oklahoma

$51,865

Oregon

$60,644

Pennsylvania

$61,677

Rhode Island

$56,170

South Carolina

$52,274

South Dakota

$57,274

Tennessee

$53,438

Texas

$61,513

Utah

$53,349

Vermont

$66,068

Virginia

$55,689

Washington

$75,462

West Virginia

$47,634

Wisconsin

$59,817

Wyoming

$58,912

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT (CNA)

State

Annual Salary

Alabama

$37,071

Alaska

$41,247

Arizona

$38,115

Arkansas

$31,361

California

$43,217

Colorado

$39,833

Connecticut

$36,932

Delaware

$37,803

Florida

$30,563

Georgia

$34,535

Hawaii

$39,934

Idaho

$41,473

Illinois

$36,752

Indiana

$38,919

Iowa

$36,798

Kansas

$34,432

Kentucky

$32,999

Louisiana

$33,717

Maine

$42,031

Maryland

$36,647

Massachusetts

$41,562

Michigan

$33,007

Minnesota

$38,618

Mississippi

$36,572

Missouri

$35,471

Montana

$37,540

Nebraska

$35,969

Nevada

$39,000

New Hampshire

$40,377

New Jersey

$40,728

New Mexico

$38,599

New York

$45,226

North Carolina

$34,383

North Dakota

$40,700

Ohio

$37,592

Oklahoma

$34,833

Oregon

$40,729

Pennsylvania

$41,424

Rhode Island

$37,725

South Carolina

$35,109

South Dakota

$38,466

Tennessee

$35,890

Texas

$41,313

Utah

$35,830

Vermont

$44,372

Virginia

$37,401

Washington

$50,681

West Virginia

$31,991

Wisconsin

$40,175

Wyoming

$39,567

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$62,279

Alaska

$68,875

Arizona

$66,275

Arkansas

$54,949

California

$86,601

Colorado

$50,941

Connecticut

$80,764

Delaware

$83,191

District of Columbia

$74,802

Florida

$57,314

Georgia

$55,886

Hawaii

$78,846

Idaho

$56,843

Illinois

$65,000

Indiana

$76,785

Iowa

$51,162

Kansas

$62,242

Kentucky

$62,871

Louisiana

$58,902

Maine

$85,328

Maryland

$73,554

Massachusetts

$82,770

Michigan

$78,730

Minnesota

$61,848

Mississippi

$54,949

Missouri

$55,677

Montana

$52,598

Nebraska

$52,208

Nevada

$77,228

New Hampshire

$75,370

New Jersey

$91,826

New Mexico

$59,841

New York

$92,005

North Carolina

$58,337

North Dakota

$67,373

Ohio

$64,399

Oklahoma

$63,246

Oregon

$61,739

Pennsylvania

$90,163

Rhode Island

$87,338

South Carolina

$54,299

South Dakota

$48,303

Tennessee

$65,817

Texas

$70,762

Utah

$65,139

Vermont

$88,061

Virginia

$69,227

Washington

$73,945

West Virginia

$71,408

Wisconsin

$65,643

Wyoming

$54,572

 

STATE-BY-STATE AVERAGE SALARY: FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR

STATE

AVERAGE SALARY

Alabama

$99,479

Alaska

$88,088

Arizona

$84,979

Arkansas

$78,826

California

$121,156

Colorado

$85,381

Connecticut

$114,712

Delaware

$110,747

District of Columbia

$112,280

Florida

$76,606

Georgia

$103,728

Hawaii

$81,086

Idaho

$96,606

Illinois

$101,830

Indiana

$107,666

Iowa

$87,185

Kansas

$72,337

Kentucky

$87,478

Louisiana

$95,043

Maine

$121,290

Maryland

$99,160

Massachusetts

$117,537

Michigan

$98,420

Minnesota

$76,246

Mississippi

$83,635

Missouri

$88,994

Montana

$78,313

Nebraska

$82,139

Nevada

$110,379

New Hampshire

$124,892

New Jersey

$125,694

New Mexico

$94,269

New York

$112,854

North Carolina

$110,414

North Dakota

$77,166

Ohio

$99,665

Oklahoma

$77,730

Oregon

$97,142

Pennsylvania

$107,822

Rhode Island

$125,294

South Carolina

$90,163

South Dakota

$73,066

Tennessee

$77,628

Texas

$89,137

Utah

$112,575

Vermont

$111,602

Virginia

$111,585

Washington

$109,206

West Virginia

$104,665

Wisconsin

$106,058

Wyoming

$86,287

 

The Highest and Lowest Paying States for Senior Care Workers

Those seeking jobs in senior care should be aware of the best and worst states to seek employment, especially when it comes to salary. Here, we’ve outlined the data on the highest and lowest-paying states for each role mentioned above:

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: SENIOR LIVING ADMINISTRATOR

Massachusetts

$92,417

Washington

$87,764

Colorado

$86,844

Delaware

$81,359

Illinois

$80,539

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: SENIOR LIVING ADMINISTRATOR

Florida

$54,553

West Virginia

$56,899

Louisiana

$60,962

Georgia

$61,642

Kansas

$62,725

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: ASSISTED LIVING OPERATIONS MANAGER

Alaska

$74,156

Massachusetts

$73,103

Washington

$70,341

Nevada

$70,115

Colorado

$68,937

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: ASSISTED LIVING OPERATIONS MANAGER

Florida

$44,140

West Virginia

$45,988

Louisiana

$49,518

Georgia

$49,876

Kansas

$51,065

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: MARKETING MANAGER OR MARKETING DIRECTOR

New Jersey

$88,753

Wyoming

$88,109

Wisconsin

$86,948

Washington

$86,730

Massachusetts

$86,341

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: MARKETING MANAGER OR MARKETING DIRECTOR

West Virginia

$58,207

Arkansas

$64,939

Florida

$67,697

Michigan

$68,250

Kentucky

$68,446

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Alaska

$127,000

Massachusetts

$125,197

Washington

$120,467

Nevada

$120,079

Colorado

$118,063

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Florida

$75,595

West Virginia

$78,760

Louisiana

$84,805

Georgia

$85,419

Kansas

$87,456

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: REGISTERED NURSE

Washington

$102,686

Delaware

$96,183

Virginia

$94,528

Maryland

$93,085

New York

$92,968

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: REGISTERED NURSE

Florida

$62,954

Arkansas

$65,561

West Virginia

$65,767

Kentucky

$68,959

Michigan

$69,023

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE

Washington

$75,462

New York

$67,339

Vermont

$66,068

California

$64,348

Maine

$62,582

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE

Florida

$45,507

Arkansas

$46,696

West Virginia

$47,634

Kentucky

$49,134

Michigan

$49,147

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT

Washington

$50,681

New York

$45,226

Vermont

$44,372

California

$43,217

Maine

$42,031

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT

Florida

$30,563

Arkansas

$31,361

West Virginia

$31,991

Kentucky

$32,999

Michigan

$33,007

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR

New York

$92,005

New Jersey

$91,826

Pennsylvania

$90,163

Vermont

$88,061

Rhode Island

$87,338

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR

South Dakota

$48,303

Colorado

$50,941

Iowa

$51,162

Nebraska

$52,208

Montana

$52,598

 

5 HIGHEST-PAYING STATES: DIETARY/FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR

New Jersey

$125,694

Rhode Island

$125,294

New Hampshire

$124,892

Maine

$121,290

California

$121,156

 

5 LOWEST-PAYING STATES: DIETARY/FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR

Kansas

$72,337

South Dakota

$73,066

Minnesota

$76,246

Florida

$76,606

North Dakota

$77,166

 

5 Factors That Influence Salaries in Senior Care

The data reveals that salaries for senior care can vary significantly from state to state. This raises the question: Why is this the case? To gain a comprehensive understanding of senior living staffing challenges and learn how to improve retention, let's examine the five key factors that determine salary levels:

Cost of Living

The cost of living in a given area is directly tied to inflation, but it doesn’t always impact an entire state. Cities and densely populated urban areas are often most susceptible to high living costs. Many employers in these areas offer a COLA (cost of living adjustment) to compensate for high prices with additional benefits or bonuses.

Demand for Senior Care

The demand for senior living employees is often concentrated in specific areas with larger populations of aging adults who need varying levels of care. This can lead to higher salaries but also greater competition among job candidates, especially if the demand exceeds the supply of qualified prospects, leading to staffing shortages.

Organization Type and Size

Higher-level or leadership roles tend to be paid more on average in larger senior living communities. However, these communities also have a greater need for lower-paying positions, such as LPNs, CNAs, and coordinators. Plus, assisted living communities and nursing homes typically require more skilled nursing providers like RNs, so salaries may be higher in those long-term care organizations.

Experience and Education

Of course, a candidate’s education and experience significantly impact their chances of getting a job offer and their initial salary offer. Generally speaking, when comparing two somewhat equal resumes, the candidate with more experience tends to receive a higher offer than one with a “better” education or a degree from a top school.

Unionization

Similar to other industries, unionized healthcare workers in the senior living industry enjoy higher pay and more benefits than non-unionized healthcare workers. However, a recent study reveals that unionization in healthcare has remained relatively low over the last decade despite the clear link to higher wages.

Calculate Your Annual Employee Staffing Costs

When it comes to salary, calculating the magic number for each healthcare worker is no easy feat. In reality, there probably isn't a "right" number, but it's helpful to understand how location and other factors impact average salaries for the job candidates you'll be considering as assisted living providers. Need more help? Eldermark has you covered. Check out our Employee Cost Calculator to get a more precise estimate of the salaries you should be offering your employees, and then plan your community’s finances around those figures.

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