Runs a nonprofit that owns land permanently for the community and keeps homes on it affordable for each new owner who buys. BLS does not publish separate figures for social and community service managers; it counts them within social and community service manager (SOC 11-9151), whose median pay is $80,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-9151
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Community Land Trust Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $80,390a year, or $38.65/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $53KTop 10% $132K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.2%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 18,500231,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025231K
- Projected 2035247.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 231K Projected 2035 247.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school7.2%
- Some college2.2%
- Associate's8.2%
- Bachelor's50.4%
- Master's23.9%
- Post-master’s certificate8.1%
Highest education held by social and community service managers Segment Value High school 7.2% Some college 2.2% Associate's 8.2% Bachelor's 50.4% Master's 23.9% Post-master’s certificate 8.1%
Also advertised as: Community Land Trust Executive Director, CLT Director, Land Trust Housing Director, Shared Equity Homeownership Program Manager, CLT Program Manager.
Pay
How much do Social and Community Service Managers make?
Every community land trust director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$80,390
Middle half earn $64,290 to $103,200
- 10th
- $53,150
- 25th
- $64,290
- 75th
- $103,200
- 90th
- $132,260
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $53,150 |
| 25th | $64,290 |
| Median | $80,390 |
| 75th | $103,200 |
| 90th | $132,260 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $80,390
- Median hourly wage
- $38.65/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $88,880
- People employed
- 209,330
Versus all US occupations
At $80,390, Social and Community Service Managers earn 58% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $29,410 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 36% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $132,260 or more while the bottom 10% earn $53,150, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 60% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($106,700), but once local prices are taken into account South Dakota leads at $98,063 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Social and Community Service Managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $106,700 | $97,087 | 640 |
| 2Washington | $103,000 | $96,250 | 3,650 |
| 3Alaska | $98,370 | $96,103 | 830 |
| 4Colorado | $97,440 | $94,554 | 2,800 |
| 5New York | $95,980 | $88,935 | 19,340 |
| 6New Jersey | $95,290 | $87,579 | 5,530 |
| 7Virginia | $94,970 | $93,933 | 3,300 |
| 8Tennessee | $88,240 | $96,049 | 2,770 |
| 9Maryland | $87,450 | $83,318 | 4,300 |
| 10Oregon | $87,010 | $84,181 | 3,390 |
Job outlook
Is Community Land Trust Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Managers | +7.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Social and Community Service Managers to change 7.2% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 16,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 18,500 openings are projected each year, 8.0% of the 231,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Community Land Trust Director
Directors usually have a bachelor's degree, often in urban planning, public administration, social work or business, and many hold a master's. Experience in affordable housing, real estate development, community organizing or nonprofit management is what employers look for most.
Grounded Solutions Network is the national membership organization for community land trusts and runs training, a practitioner network and standards for shared equity homeownership. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy publishes research and guides on the model. People often start as a homeownership counselor, housing program coordinator or development associate at a land trust or housing nonprofit, then move into director roles as new trusts form.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as social and community service managers.
- Bachelor's Degree50.4%
- Master's Degree23.9%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree8.2%
- Post-Master's Certificate8.1%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)7.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 50.4% |
| Master's Degree | 23.9% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 8.2% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 8.1% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 7.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Community Land Trust Director do?
Community land trusts are nonprofits that buy and hold land so that the homes, shops or gardens on it stay affordable over the long term. A buyer owns the house but leases the land from the trust, and when they sell, a resale formula keeps the price within reach of the next buyer. The director runs that organization.
Directors raise money from government programs, foundations and lenders, acquire land and buildings, oversee development or renovation, and work with buyers through homeownership counseling and mortgage approvals. They manage ground leases and resales, step in when homeowners struggle, and lead a board that by tradition includes residents and community members. Many also lead neighborhood organizing to prevent displacement and push for local housing policy.
Day-to-day tasks
- Raise funds from public programs, foundations and lenders
- Acquire land and buildings for permanent affordability
- Oversee construction or renovation of trust homes
- Manage ground leases and resale formulas
- Guide buyers through counseling and mortgage approval
- Support homeowners facing financial trouble
- Lead a board of residents and community members
- Advocate for local affordable housing policy
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Directors work in small nonprofit offices and out in the neighborhoods they serve, with evening board and community meetings. The job combines finance, real estate, fundraising and community relations, and small staffs mean directors handle a wide range of tasks.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Learning Strategies3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Service Orientation4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Time Management3.9
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9
- Systems Analysis3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Data base reporting software
- Desktop publishing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Community Land Trust Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESC) built on O*NET's Social and Community Service Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Community Land Trust Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Enterprising7.0
- Social5.7
- Conventional4.7
- Artistic2.4
- Investigative2.2
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Community Land Trust Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
$60,280median a year
Most earn $40K to $104K
+10.3%Master's
More management careers
Median annual pay, with social and community service managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Community Land Trust Director$80,390
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Community Land Trust Director | $80,390 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Community Land Trust Director appears on
Questions
Community Land Trust Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Social and Community Service Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for social and community service managers. It counts them within social and community service manager, whose median pay is $80,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $64,290 and $103,200, and the top 10% earn $132,260 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Community Land Trust Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Social and Community Service Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.4% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Community Land Trust Director a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.2% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 18,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Community Land Trust Director do?
Community land trusts are nonprofits that buy and hold land so that the homes, shops or gardens on it stay affordable over the long term. A typical task: raise funds from public programs, foundations and lenders. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Social and Community Service Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Social and Community Service Managers are District of Columbia ($106,700), Washington ($103,000), Alaska ($98,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, South Dakota moves to the top at $98,063.
What personality type suits a Community Land Trust Director?
O*NET scores Social and Community Service Managers highest on the Enterprising, Social and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.