COLUMBUS, OH – Today, the American Association of Service Coordinators released the comprehensive 2023 Service Coordinator Salary Survey – detailing the impact inflation and a lack of affordable housing are having on Service Coordinators nationwide. While a large majority of Service Coordinators enjoy annual pay raises, paid time off, and health benefits, they are also contending with uncertain economic conditions, rising housing costs, and feelings of not being compensated relative to the impact of the work they do.
AASC's 2023 Salary Survey results include information on the education, experience, wages and benefits of service coordinators nationwide. The survey findings are intended to serve as guide for service coordinators, employers, federal agencies, and policy makers to better understand the economic conditions of service coordinators and the driving forces behind hiring and retention trends in the industry. These tools can assist employers in implementing sustainable service coordinator budgets and allow service coordinators to compare their compensation to peers. While AASC has published the results of salary surveys in the past, the 2023 report is a first-of-its-kind glimpse into the demographics of the service coordinator profession – including that 92% of respondents were female, with an average age of 55. This in-depth look at the service coordinator workforce seeks to provide context to the compounding social and economic factors impacting job satisfaction and salary needs.
“Service Coordinators are critical components to the affordable housing equation, and they must be compensated in a way that demonstrates their importance to the well-being of the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals who rely on them,” said AASC President & CEO, Michelle Missler. “Without Service Coordinators, many seniors would be unable to access the necessary community resources that keep them healthy, happy, and housed. We must put the welfare of Service Coordinators directly where they are for their residents – as the ‘Heartbeat of Housing’.”
AASC developed the survey and disseminated it by email to approximately 3,913 of its members, which are mostly service coordinators. The survey was also distributed by partner organizations and through social media. Respondents completed the survey online between March 10, 2023 to April 14, 2023. A total of 1,570 surveys were fully or partially completed. Respondents represent 49 U.S. States, two U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia. No respondents represented Guam or Hawaii. The largest number of respondents reported living in California (169) and the least reported living in Alaska (1) and Virgin Islands (1).
Key takeaways of the 2023 Salary Survey include:
- Reported wages of service coordinators have increased since AASC’s 2019 salary survey. However, the additional income represents little change in their collective economic conditions because of inflation.
- The majority (80%) of service coordinators receive annual pay increases, ranging from 1-3%.
- Most commenters said they are underpaid and as a result many reported feeling underappreciated by their organizations, especially relative to the impact of their work.
- Most service coordinators have earned college degrees, but having attained higher education often did not correlate with higher wages.
- Inflation and the lack of affordable housing, particularly in large cities, has some reconsidering the profession and driven others to take on second jobs. More than half of respondents said they work second jobs or do freelance work to supplement their service coordinator income.