Marketing directors in continuing care in retirement communities ensure that the communities continue to operate profitably by marketing the goods and services offered to seniors and their families who may need to make use of them in the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 164,000 marketing managers worked in the United States in 2010. Salaries earned by marketing directors for retirement communities tend to be toward the bottom end of the pay scale.

Average Salary

The typical salary range for an assisted living or residential care facility administrator ranges from about $65,000 to $85,000 per year, as of 2011, according to Dr. James E. Allen, former professor at the University of North Carolina and owner of the LongTermCareEducation.com website. Dr. Allen indicates that starting salaries in this field generally range from $40,000 to $55,000 and the earning potential can exceed $100,000 per year.

Pay Scale

Placing the salary of marketing directors and other retirement community administrators within the larger pay scale for marketing managers and directors nationwide can help provide some additional context. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that salaries for marketing managers generally range from about $57,750 per year to more than $166,400 on an annual basis, as of 2010. The median salary for those working in this field in 2010 was $112,800, with the middle 50 percent of the pay scale making between $80,900 and $151,260.

Examples

Even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not necessarily provide a separate listing for retirement living marketing managers, many of Dr. Allen's assertions are affirmed by websites that either provide salary information or job postings with salary information. For instance, a 2010 job post for Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village in Ohio on RetirementHomes.com indicates that a sales and marketing director working for the facility will make about $60,000 per year plus bonuses based on performance. Erickson Retirement Communities in Baltimore, Maryland, pays a salary range of $64,000 to $70,000 per year, with annual bonuses totaling between $7,700 and $8,300 per year.

Job Outlook

Marketing directors can expect to see continued job growth in the period from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the number of jobs in this field will grow by about 12 percent during this time frame. Retirement communities will benefit from ongoing demographic trends during this time frame. According to the bureau, the increased number of elderly people should fuel growth in the health care field. This growth should spill over into the retirement living field as well.