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What is an office manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Kim Roberts
introduction image

An office manager oversees the daily operations of an office, ensuring that everything runs efficiently. They manage administrative support staff, maintain office equipment, handle budgets, and oversee administrative tasks. Office managers also ensure a safe and secure office environment. Other duties may include hiring and training staff. Overall, an office manager helps to keep an organization running smoothly.

What general advice would you give to an office manager?

Dr. Kim RobertsDr. Kim Roberts LinkedIn profile

Professor of Operations Management, Website

Business-related occupations offer attractive salaries and offer a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, contract management, cybersecurity, finance, human resources, logistics, marketing, management, operations, sales, and more. However, business careers are often demanding, requiring long work weeks and travel.

Skills
leadership
communication
innovation
adaptation
critical thinking
problem solving
emotional intelligence
empathy
teamwork
cultural competence
conflict management
ethics and social responsibility
ScoreOffice ManagerUS Average
Salary
3.4

Avg. Salary $43,395

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 5.19%

Black or African American 10.39%

Hispanic or Latino 18.40%

Unknown 4.72%

White 60.66%

Gender

female 86.45%

male 13.55%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an office manager?

Pros

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Opportunity to work with diverse groups of people

  • Potential for career growth and advancement

  • Access to professional development and training opportunities

  • Chance to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Cons

  • High pressure and stress levels

  • Dealing with difficult employees or clients

  • Need to constantly adapt to changing technologies and trends

  • Risk of burnout and job dissatisfaction

  • Potential for monotony or repetition in daily tasks.

Office manager career paths

Key steps to become an office manager

  1. Explore office manager education requirements

    Most common office manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    44.3 %

    Associate

    26.0 %

    High School Diploma

    15.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific office manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service19.06%
    Patients12.85%
    Financial Statements6.27%
    Office Operations4.14%
    Office Equipment3.80%
  3. Complete relevant office manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office 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 office manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office manager resumes.
  4. Research office manager duties and 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.
  5. Prepare your office manager resume

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

    Build a professional office 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 office manager resume.
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  6. Apply for office manager jobs

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

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

How did you land your first office manager job

Zippi

Are you an office manager?

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Average office manager salary

The average office manager salary in the United States is $43,395 per year or $21 per hour. Office manager salaries range between $30,000 and $62,000 per year.

Average office manager salary
$43,395 Yearly
$20.86 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do office managers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Office manager reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Being able to motivate administrative personnel to do their jobs well and meet deadlines.

Cons

Having to reprimand personnel when duties are neglected.


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

diverse responsibilities, interfacing with all levels of professionals

Cons

nothing comes to mind


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

People lacking an not doing what they are told to do and when they don't show up on time


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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