Property Manager Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Property managers in Tucson run apartment communities, student housing near the University of Arizona and commercial buildings across the metro. The federal wage survey put the local median at $28.69 an hour. Openings are below, followed by the management companies that hire, what the work pays and when Arizona requires a real estate license.
Current Property Manager Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Property Manager Work in Tucson
Much of the property management work in Tucson sits inside apartment communities. Tucson-based owners such as HSL Properties, headquartered on East Broadway, manage communities across the city, while national firms run student housing near the UA campus, on Fourth Avenue and on Sixth Street, plus newer communities out in Marana. Student housing turns over on the school calendar, so the weeks before the fall semester are the busiest stretch of a student-housing manager's year.
The commercial side covers office, retail and industrial buildings managed for owners by brokerage firms such as Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR. The federal Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey counted about 980 property, real estate and community association managers in the Tucson metro in May 2023.
Top Tucson Employers for Property Managers
These Tucson employers hire property and community managers:
- HSL Properties - Tucson-based apartment owner and manager on East Broadway that hires community directors and assistant community directors.
- Greystar - national manager running Tucson apartments and student housing, including Union on 6th and Envii.
- Wasatch Property Management - has listed community manager and multi-site community manager roles in Tucson, including River Point.
- Avenue5 Residential - third-party apartment manager that has advertised property manager jobs at Tucson communities such as Alvista 23.
- Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR - Tucson commercial brokerage with a property management division for office, retail and industrial buildings.
Property Manager Salaries in Tucson
- Assistant community or property manager: roughly $20 to $26 an hour.
- Community or property manager: roughly $26 to $34 an hour, or about $54,000 to $70,000 a year.
- Multi-site, portfolio or commercial manager: roughly $70,000 to $95,000 a year.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put Tucson's median for property, real estate and community association managers at $28.69 an hour, and the mean at $31.92 or $66,390 a year, in May 2023, and one Avenue5 listing for a Tucson property manager advertised $26 to $28 an hour. Unit count, lease-up assignments and commercial portfolios push pay up, and many apartment employers add leasing and renewal bonuses or a rent discount.
How to Become a Property Manager in Tucson
Most managers come up through leasing or an assistant manager job. Licensing depends on the job. The Arizona Department of Real Estate requires a real estate license to manage property for others for compensation under a property management agreement, but a residential on-site manager working at one location and paid with no special compensation, such as commissions or management fees, is exempt. A license takes a 90-hour prelicensing course, the 6-hour contract writing course, the state exam and a DPS fingerprint clearance card; in Tucson, the Hogan School of Real Estate on East Grant Road teaches it. HSL Properties says it pays for employees' certificates and education.
What the Job Involves
A community manager owns the property's numbers and its people: setting rents, chasing delinquencies, approving move-ins, running renewals, scheduling maintenance and turns, signing off on vendor invoices, handling resident complaints and reporting occupancy and budget results to the owner every month. On the commercial side, the job leans toward tenant relations, common-area charges and building systems.
Skills Employers Look For
- Leasing and resident service experience
- Budgeting, rent collection and delinquency follow-up
- Property software such as Yardi, RealPage or Entrata
- Fair housing and Arizona landlord-tenant knowledge
- Managing maintenance staff and vendors
- Bilingual English and Spanish is a plus in much of Tucson
Career Path and Advancement
The typical Tucson ladder runs leasing consultant, assistant community manager, community manager, then a multi-site or regional role overseeing several properties. Student housing and lease-up assignments are a common way to get noticed early. Managers who earn a real estate license can move into third-party management for individual owners, commercial property management or brokerage.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for property managers:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do property managers in Arizona need a real estate license?
It depends on the job. Managing property for other owners for compensation requires an Arizona real estate license, but an on-site residential manager working at one location without commissions or management fees is exempt under Arizona law. Ask the employer which applies before you apply.
How much do property managers make in Tucson?
The federal wage survey put the Tucson median at $28.69 an hour in May 2023. Assistant managers start lower, and multi-site and commercial managers earn more.
How do I become a property manager with no experience?
Start in leasing. Leasing consultants learn the software, the lease paperwork and resident service, and many community managers are promoted from leasing or assistant manager roles.
Which companies hire property managers in Tucson?
HSL Properties, Greystar, Wasatch Property Management and Avenue5 Residential hire on the apartment side, and Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR manages commercial buildings.
Is student housing management different from regular apartments?
Yes. Student communities near the University of Arizona run on the school calendar, with leasing and move-ins built around the start of the fall semester, so the job is more seasonal and marketing heavy.
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