How long does it take to become a Facilities Manager?

It takes 7 years of professional experience to become a facilities manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific facilities manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 10 to 12 years years to become a facilities manager.

How do I become a successful facilities manager?

To become a successful facilities manager, you should have prior experience and strong skills related to project management, business operations, and building maintenance. Being in a manager position typically means having higher-level duties like overseeing maintenance, hiring personnel, and handling renovation projects. So, you need to learn and develop your knowledge and skills in leadership and communication.

What makes a good facilities manager?

What makes a good facilities manager is having prior experience and strong skills to do with project management, business operations, and building maintenance. Being in a manager position typically means having higher-level duties like overseeing maintenance, hiring personnel, and handling renovation projects. So, you need to learn and develop your knowledge and skills in leadership and communication.

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

What is a facilities manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Irene Thomas Johnson

Facilities managers oversee the maintenance and upkeep of a building or property. They are responsible for ensuring that the facilities are safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. This may involve managing a team of maintenance staff, scheduling repairs and upgrades, monitoring budgets, and coordinating with outside contractors. Facilities managers must also ensure compliance with applicable regulations and safety standards. They may work in a variety of settings, including office buildings, hospitals, schools, and government facilities.

What general advice would you give to a facilities manager?

Irene Thomas Johnson

Executive Director, Solutions Development

First, take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way. Do not shy away or turn down an assignment, big or small, or how mundane. Each one of these will lay the foundation for a bigger and better opportunity in the future. Second, get a mentor. Someone whom you can exchange ideas and get candid feedback, someone who can help you open doors in your career. And third, never stop training and asking questions.

ScoreFacilities ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $69,850

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 4.32%

Black or African American 10.07%

Hispanic or Latino 13.87%

Unknown 4.33%

White 66.93%

Gender

female 23.07%

male 76.93%

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

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a facilities manager?

Pros

Job stability and security
Opportunities for professional development and training
Interaction with a variety of people and departments
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Satisfaction in seeing tangible results of your work

Cons

High stress level due to constantly changing priorities and emergencies
Managing budgets and financial constraints can be challenging
Need to stay up-to-date with technology, regulations, and best practices
Physical demands of the job, such as lifting heavy objects or being on your feet for long periods of time
Potential exposure to hazardous materials or situations

Key steps to become a facilities manager

Explore facilities manager education requirements

Most common facilities manager degrees

Bachelor's

54.1 %

Associate

21.4 %

High School Diploma

9.9 %

Start to develop specific facilities manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	9.72%
Facility Maintenance	6.40%
HVAC	6.07%
Building Maintenance	4.53%
Real Estate	4.36%

Complete relevant facilities manager training and internships

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

Gain additional facilities manager certifications

Facilities 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 facilities manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for facilities managers include Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

More About Certifications

Research facilities manager duties and responsibilities

Plan and manage university sporting events while remaining NCAA compliant.
Manage events and operations for all NCAA collegiate home varsity contests and special university functions.
Manage special projects, submit RFP's, prepare quotes and contracts in order to drive new business.
Manage all EHS programs, training, and associate regulatory requirements for compliance, licensing, and permitting.

Prepare your facilities manager resume

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

Build a professional facilities 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 facilities manager resume.

Apply for facilities manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a facilities 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 facilities manager job

Evans Ubani

Facilities Manager

Facility Management is a wonderful career that is not taking seriously especially in Nigeria.

I finished my undergraduate degree as a mechanical engineer and started hunting for jobs as I didn't want to go for the National Youth Service Corp then. I got a chance to with small company in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and I was given a big role as the Maintenance Officer in charge of all it's maintenance activities, this includes: offices, generators, and the entire facility and I reported directly to the manager himself. First it was tough but as time goes on, I began to see results, I started enjoying what I was doing.
From there I became a station manager of a filling station and that includes maintenance as I already have gotten experience.

This is the beginning of my journey as a facility maintenance officer.

How do facilities managers rate their job?

4.75/5

Based on 4 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Facilities manager reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

I like the variety of trades overlapping, and communicating with all of the trades.

Cons

Nothing.

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

Taking care of the buildings so employees can complete there jobs safely and comfortably.

Cons

The limited resources to complete the above mentioned.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

I really like all the details about what a facilities manager does.

Cons

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

What is a facilities manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a facilities manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a facilities manager?

Facilities manager career paths

Key steps to become a facilities manager

Explore facilities manager education requirements

Most common facilities manager degrees

Start to develop specific facilities manager skills

Complete relevant facilities manager training and internships

Gain additional facilities manager certifications

Research facilities manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your facilities manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable facilities manager resume templates

Apply for facilities manager jobs

How did you land your first facilities manager job

Average facilities manager salary

How do facilities managers rate their job?

Facilities manager reviews

Facilities manager FAQs

How long does it take to become a Facilities Manager?

How do I become a successful facilities manager?

What makes a good facilities manager?

Search for facilities manager jobs

Facilities manager jobs by state