How To Become A Circulation Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a circulation manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average circulation manager salary is $51,214. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 8-10 years of experience to become a circulation manager. Circulation managers with a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 33,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCirculation ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,214

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 54.39%

male 45.61%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a circulation manager

Explore circulation manager education requirements

Most common circulation manager degrees

Bachelor's

62.4 %

Associate

15.5 %

High School Diploma

9.7 %

Start to develop specific circulation manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Payroll	16.15%
Independent Contractors	9.89%
Delivery Route	7.89%
Customer Acquisition	5.89%
Customer Complaints	5.23%

Complete relevant circulation manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New circulation 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 a circulation manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real circulation manager resumes.

Research circulation manager duties and responsibilities

Manage distribution of four publications including two paid circulation and two TMC papers.
Manage media budgets; create monthly marketing analyses and ROI reports on all efforts.
Lead marketing department sponsorship/partnership, NIE (501c3) program, and outside vendor circulations initiatives for a major metropolitan newspaper.
Introduce and manage BPA audit procedures for independent distribution verification.

Prepare your circulation manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your circulation 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 a circulation 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 circulation manager resume templates

Build a professional circulation 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 circulation manager resume.