condo HOAs - how much of your budget goes to staff payroll?

This is going to be impossible to answer adequately as it will always be comparing apples to oranges. Associations of your approximate size may have more or less amenities, grounds, etc. Construction materials and quality will be different. They may have more less volunteer activity. They may have opted for a management company rather than hiring staff internally. You're never going to to be able to get a comparative answer.

Right now you're paying an average of $57,000 per employee. In your market, are the wages being paid comaprable. How long have the employees been with the association? If they've been there for 5-10 years, then they are going to be paid higher than the prevaling new employee wage. Is the experience they have worth it? Only the board and the owners can make that determination. You have to really look at the cost/benefit to the association. If the staff is doing a good job, what is that worth to you?

I received a note through my site from an owner whose association is currently replacing a management company with internal staff and was upset because they didn't think the board had thought the process through. I had to laugh because I've known this association for over 30 years, and every 5-7 years they go through the same transition - from management company to staff and back to management company. There problem has always been they they haven't paid either enough to get top tier people and so dissatisfaction sets in over a period of time, and to deal with it they make a change and start over. Its their way of dealing with the issue. Not a very good one, but it quiets everyone down for a year or so.

So you have to look at what you're getting for your money, not just how much is being spent, because what might replace your staff could be worse, not just cheaper.

Joe