Memory care directors see 2.73% increase in pay

Memory care program directors, on average, saw a base pay increase of 2.73% in 2018, according the 21st annual “Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Report,” recently published by the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service.

Average pay for the memory care program director position was $64,160 in 2018 compared with $62,456 in 2017, according to national trend data reflecting organizations that participated in the survey in both 2017 and 2018.

Memory care program directors at assisted living communities, making an average of $60,000, earned more than their peers at nursing homes and CCRCs, who made $51,439 and $56,160, respectively.

Regionally, memory care program director average pay ranged from $49,698 in Arkansas / Louisiana / Oklahoma / Texas to $71,313 in Connecticut / Maine / Massachusetts / New Hampshire / Rhode Island / Vermont.

In individual states, seven of which had data in the report for the position, average memory care program director pay ranged from $49,574 in Texas to $72,138 in New Jersey.

Generally speaking, memory care program directors earned more at communities that had 90 or more beds compared with those at communities of 89 or fewer beds. Average pay was higher at for-profit organizations compared with not-for-profit ones, but only one of nine regions reported sufficient data for not-for-profit organizations, compared with five of nine for for-profit organizations.

The report includes responses from more than 1,200 assisted living communities, according to Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, which cooperated in the production of the report. The National Center for Assisted Living also supported the research, for which 90.53% of participants worked for for-profit organizations and 9.47% worked for not-for-profits. They provided compensation data related to 20 management and 29 nonmanagement positions nationwide. Data are reported according to for-profit and not-for-profit status, revenue size, unit size, state, county and geographic region. Also covered are 18 fringe benefits, turnover rates by department and projected salary increases for 2019. Data are effective as of October.

The report may be purchased for $350, $275 for members of LeadingAge or NCAL or $195 for communities that participated in the survey.

The 2019 “Behavioral Health Salary & Benefits” study is now underway, with a deadline of March 11 and publication planned for May. Questionnaires are available online. Those with questions may contact Rosanne Zabka at [email protected] or (201) 405-0075, ext. 11.