How To Become An Administrative Manager: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How long does it take to become an administrative manager?

It takes 4 to 8 years to become an administrative manager. The exact time it takes to become an administrative manager depends on education and work experience. Not to mention, different industries have different standards and requirements.

Q: What degree is needed for an administrative services manager?

A bachelor's or associate's degree is needed for an administrative services manager. While there is no standard degree requirement for an administrative services manager, in this day and age, most candidates for this position have at least a bachelor's degree, if not a master's degree.

Q: What is the average salary for an administrative manager?

The average salary for an administrative manager is $69,000 a year ($33.52 an hour). There is a good amount of variation and what an administrative manager can make largely based on the location of the position and the company. For example, wages can start from as little as $44,000 a year to as much as $108,000 a year.

Q: What is the difference between an administrative manager and an administration manager?

There is no difference between an administrative manager and an administration manager. Administration is both a noun and an adjective used to describe the same concept - someone responsible for deciding an organization's objectives and policies.

What is an administrative manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An administrative manager oversees the work of the entire administrative staff at a company or organization. They set goals, delegate, and coordinate tasks, organize schedules, manage databases, and create reports on administrative processes.

Administrative managers perform clerical duties themselves, but they also communicate and coordinate work with other departments and their managers. They are responsible for recruiting ad training administrative staff as well.

This is a management level position, and as such, it requires adequate education and experience. A degree in business administration is usually required, as well as years on the job in administrative positions, although learning how to be a good manager is not something you can acquire through conventional training. But you will get there with a lot of trial and error and a lot of courage. And do not be surprised if you are not complimented for doing well. As long as the numbers and productivity statistics are right, it is most likely all that will matter.

ScoreAdministrative ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,394

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 4.29%

Black or African American 9.96%

Hispanic or Latino 13.75%

Unknown 4.32%

White 67.20%

Gender

female 68.17%

male 31.83%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an administrative manager

Explore administrative manager education requirements

Most common administrative manager degrees

Bachelor's

60.7 %

Associate

17.1 %

Master's

11.0 %

Start to develop specific administrative manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	15.70%
Office Procedures	8.93%
Human Resources	7.10%
Patients	6.80%
Oversight	5.94%

Complete relevant administrative manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative manager resumes.

Gain additional administrative manager certifications

Administrative manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific administrative manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for administrative managers include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

More About Certifications

Research administrative manager duties and responsibilities

Manage the virtual platform to include existing/future content sites and SharePoint portals.
Manage the division s conversion to PeopleSoft, defining data elements and report design.
Process payroll with ADP, manage employee benefits and maintain all relate data base systems.
Manage all benefit RFP's, new vendor implementations and require system changes and upgrades.

Prepare your administrative manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable administrative manager resume templates

Build a professional administrative manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your administrative manager resume.

Apply for administrative manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an administrative manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first administrative manager job

AnisAhmed Siddeque

Administrative Manager, Polash50

The first time it was my hobby but now I'm a professional article on the Vocal site.My many social sites are strong on articles for sharing many articles oriented sites. You check my resume and then understand everything. I hope that you choose me as an article writer. I must work with your site. I am waiting for the next message.

How do administrative managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Administrative manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Cons

Nothing.

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

It's not stop.

Cons

People calling in. Firing people taking people to the doctors where there's a lot of sick people.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

There is nothing that I do not like about this description.

Administrative manager FAQs

What is an administrative manager and how to become one

Administrative manager career paths

Key steps to become an administrative manager

Explore administrative manager education requirements

Most common administrative manager degrees

Start to develop specific administrative manager skills

Complete relevant administrative manager training and internships

Gain additional administrative manager certifications

Research administrative manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your administrative manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable administrative manager resume templates

Apply for administrative manager jobs

How did you land your first administrative manager job

Average administrative manager salary

How do administrative managers rate their job?

Administrative manager reviews

Administrative manager FAQs

How long does it take to become an administrative manager?

What degree is needed for an administrative services manager?

What is the average salary for an administrative manager?

What is the difference between an administrative manager and an administration manager?

Search for administrative manager jobs