Administrator vs office manager

The differences between administrators and office managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrator, becoming an office manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an administrator has an average salary of $72,882, which is higher than the $43,395 average annual salary of an office manager.

The top three skills for an administrator include customer service, data entry and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an office manager are customer service, patients, and financial statements.

Administrator vs office manager overview

	Administrator	Office Manager
Yearly salary	$72,882	$43,395
Hourly rate	$35.04	$20.86
Growth rate	5%	-8%
Number of jobs	67,553	53,712
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	43	47
Years of experience	2	6

What does an administrator do?

Administrators are administrative professionals who oversee the whole office or department. They manage office activities and supervise administrative functions in the office. They work the office calendar and oversee the appointment-setting process. They coordinate office events and ensure that all preparations are made and that there are no conflicting schedules. They also maintain a database of external providers of various office needs. Administrators also oversee office supplies and prepare purchase requisitions. They also manage janitorial services and other functions that are related to the maintenance of the physical office space. Administrators ensure that all fixtures and equipment in the office are functioning well and have no problems.

What does an office manager do?

Office managers oversee the entire workplace. They maintain office processes and services to ensure that everything is running well. They manage office supplies by managing inventory and procurement procedures. They also device filing systems, create needed and relevant office policies, and ensure that all the policies are being followed. As a way to make sure that the office is in top shape, office managers supervise most of the logistical aspects inside the office. They also provide support to both management teams and the rest of the employees. They often act as the bridge between the two and would sometimes even assist in the training of new employees.

Administrator vs office manager salary

Administrators and office managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrator	Office Manager
Average salary	$72,882	$43,395
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $113,000	Between $30,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Apple	Moody's
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Construction

Differences between administrator and office manager education

There are a few differences between an administrator and an office manager in terms of educational background:

	Administrator	Office Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Administrator vs office manager demographics

Here are the differences between administrators' and office managers' demographics:

	Administrator	Office Manager
Average age	43	47
Gender ratio	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between administrator and office manager duties and responsibilities

Administrator example responsibilities.

Develop a Perl script to manage the LDAP schema.
Hire and manage all receptionists and assistant MCA's.
Used all tools of Java stack in supporting and managing it.
Manage and process product orders on windows base on-line computer network system.
Manage ADP time system for technicians and approve time-off requests, supporting management.
Manage professional staff of 9 (including 5 MDs) and support staff of 10

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Office manager example responsibilities.

Manage international team development of RFP for new MPLS global network services.
Produce around $100k month sales/ billings, AIA documents, and manage customer accounts.
Monitor and manage the HVAC environment and nightly office cleaning performance for maximum comfort, appearance and functionality.
Manage PMO office functions including creation of strategic plan, marketing of services, and resource and project planning.
Manage production of an RFP to source $60m in software and services and manage a subset of the subsequent implementation.
Manage daily functions and systems to ensure patients receive appropriate accommodations under HIPAA guidelines.

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Administrator vs office manager skills

Common administrator skills

Customer Service, 18%
Data Entry, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Payroll, 6%
Financial Reports, 4%
Oversight, 4%

Common office manager skills

Customer Service, 19%
Patients, 13%
Financial Statements, 6%
Office Operations, 4%
Office Equipment, 4%
Scheduling Appointments, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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