Post-Acute, Senior Living & Home-Based Care Leadership salary guide

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Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Director of Nursing (DON), Skilled Nursing SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
MDS Coordinator SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Regional Nurse Consultant SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Regional Director of Operations (Post-Acute & Senior Living) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Executive Director, Senior Living SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Health Services Director (Assisted Living) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Director of Sales & Marketing, Senior Living SOC 11-2022, Sales Managers. broader match.
Home Health Administrator SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Director of Clinical Services (DCS), Home Health SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Clinical Manager, Home Health SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Hospice Executive Director / Administrator SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Hospice Director of Patient Care Services SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Clinical Liaison (Home Health & Hospice) Ask us for a current range.
Director of Business Development (Home Health & Hospice) SOC 11-2022, Sales Managers. broader match.
PACE Center Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Regional MDS Coordinator SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.

Which leadership roles does this guide cover?

We cover leadership roles in skilled nursing, senior living, home health, hospice, and PACE. That includes administrators, nursing directors, clinical managers, regional leaders, sales leaders, and business development roles. We also include MDS roles, which sit on the nursing side of the work.

We ask which setting you run and which duties sit with the title. A Nursing Home Administrator may own census review, budget review, and survey follow-up. A Director of Nursing may focus on staffing, resident issues, and staff coaching. An Executive Director may split time between operations, occupancy, and family concerns.

What does a workday look like in these leadership jobs?

A workday often starts with staffing review, census review, and open issues. Leaders may move into team meetings, family calls, paperwork, incident review, and building rounds. The day shifts when admissions, call-outs, or survey activity comes up. The exact mix depends on the setting and title.

We ask who makes the final call on staffing, admissions, discipline, and budget changes. That matters because authority differs from one facility to another. An ADON may support the DON without final authority. A Health Services Director may run daily clinical work and still report major issues upward.

How do pay ranges differ by setting and title?

Pay changes with setting, state, scope, and schedule demands. A regional role usually carries broader oversight than a single-site role. Hospice, home health, senior living, and skilled nursing all ask for different daily work, so title alone does not tell the full story.

We also ask about travel, on-call expectations, and whether the person covers one site or several. A Regional Nurse Consultant may review multiple buildings and coach local teams. A Home Health Administrator may spend more time on agency operations, compliance follow-up, and branch coordination.

What should you define before opening the search?

Before you open the search, define who the person manages and which decisions stay with ownership. We want to know if the role approves staffing changes, handles counseling, signs off on budgets, or reports to a regional leader. That scope changes how the role is viewed in the market.

We also ask about the reporting line and the daily pain points. A Hospice Director of Patient Care Services may need strong clinical oversight and family communication. A Director of Business Development may spend more time with referral partners, admissions tracking, and team coordination.

What experience matters most for these leadership hires?

The right background depends on the setting and the title. For clinical leaders, we ask about hands-on oversight, survey response, and staff guidance. For operations leaders, we ask about occupancy, cost control, and multi-site coordination. For sales leaders, we ask about referral sources and the local market.

We also look at how the person has handled change. Some roles need someone who can steady a turnover-heavy building. Others need a leader who can open a new service line or improve communication across departments. Clear duties make the search much easier on both sides.

How should you use this guide during a search?

Use the guide to frame the role before you speak with candidates. It helps you compare titles that look similar but carry different duties. That matters in post-acute care, where one site may ask for clinical depth and another may need stronger operating control.

For permanent direct hire, we work from the role you need to fill. We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do I know if my opening fits a single-site or regional leader?

Look at who owns the daily decisions. If the person handles one building, the search usually centers on local operations and team leadership. If the person supports several sites, we ask about travel, reporting lines, and how much review work sits in the role.

What details should I have ready before discussing a Director of Nursing search?

Bring the staffing model, reporting structure, and the scope of disciplinary authority. We also ask how the DON handles resident issues, survey follow-up, and shift coverage gaps. Those details shape how we present the role.

Why do two senior living titles with similar names pay differently?

Because the daily work is not always the same. One title may focus on occupancy and family communication, while another may spend more time on clinical issues or budget review. We compare the actual duties, not just the title.

Can you support temporary coverage while we hire for a permanent leader?

Yes, we arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.