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What is an office project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Andrew Gilliam
introduction image

Your duty as the office project manager is to ensure that the operations of your company are executed successfully, on time, and in the most cost-effective manner. It is also your duty to set the standard for the approach you and your team will take when carrying out your projects. You will set up practices that result in the outcome being delivered with the highest quality.

As the office project manager, you will draw up reports on the progress you and your team have made on projects using data you have gathered and analyzed. You will also encourage your team to execute projects using the standard protocol you have mapped out so as to ensure that the deliverable is of high quality. As you are working on a project, you need to have excellent team-working and verbal and written communication skills. You need to have extensive knowledge of project management and use that knowledge to delegate duties to your team members.

Furthermore, you need to be highly organized, be a critical thinker, and have excellent negotiation strategies. In order to become an office project manager, you need to have obtained a bachelor's degree in either business management or business administration. You also need to have attained the necessary experience to eventually be granted the responsibility of a leadership position.

What general advice would you give to an office project manager?

Andrew GilliamAndrew Gilliam LinkedIn profile

Customer Experience innovator and change agent,, Informa Tech

Searching for jobs is always intimidating, and this year provides many new reasons to be discouraged. However, based on research HDI conducted in July, 57% of support organizations are creating new positions or continuing to fill vacancies. Furthermore, 82% of organizations say it is likely they will continue working from home long-term. Many companies are opening their minds to hiring candidates who don't live near their offices. That's great news for anyone entering the job market!
When looking for work, the best thing an applicant can do is to think like a hiring manager. They're filling a position to meet their needs, not yours, so consider the context in which they're hiring. Right now, businesses are searching for applicants who can contribute to remote teams and support customers remotely. Experience with unified communications, mobile, cloud, and remote support technologies are in high demand. Additionally, organizations are changing how they work at a rapid pace. Understanding the fundamentals of knowledge management, enterprise service management, incident and problem management, and organizational communications will help candidates speak directly to prospective employers' challenges. Having a dedicated space and internet connectivity to enable working from home and a proven ability to work independently or remotely helps dissuade managers' fears of hiring remote candidates.
There are plenty of ways to build these skills and competencies, even without direct work experience. HDI offers numerous resources, many of them free, to expand your knowledge, including articles, webinars, toolkits, research, and virtual classroom training. Dedicating yourself to independent learning, experimenting in a home-lab, and networking at virtual industry events are fantastic ways to demonstrate your job-readiness.
ScoreOffice Project ManagerUS Average
Salary
6.2

Avg. Salary $79,831

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.64%

Asian 5.36%

Black or African American 10.07%

Hispanic or Latino 18.71%

Unknown 4.74%

White 60.48%

Gender

female 62.55%

male 37.45%

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

Office project manager career paths

Key steps to become an office project manager

  1. Explore office project manager education requirements

    Most common office project manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.6 %

    Associate

    17.7 %

    Master's

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific office project manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management29.73%
    Real Estate16.31%
    PowerPoint6.37%
    SharePoint4.85%
    Office Procedures4.34%
  3. Complete relevant office project manager training and internships

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

    • Manage all aspects of billing, A/R and A/P general ledger postings and invoicing.
    • Manage procedural implementation for transition of office to HIPPA regulatory compliance and Medicare PQRI guidelines.
    • Process A/R, A/P, payments, sales tax, make travel arrangements (both domestic & international travel).
    • Maintain company financial records, e.g., invoicing, A/P, A/R, reconciliations and job cost tracking.
  5. Prepare your office project manager resume

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

    Build a professional office project 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 project manager resume.
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    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
    Office Project Manager Resume
  6. Apply for office project manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an office project 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 project manager job

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Average office project manager salary

The average office project manager salary in the United States is $79,831 per year or $38 per hour. Office project manager salaries range between $51,000 and $123,000 per year.

Average office project manager salary
$79,831 Yearly
$38.38 hourly

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Office project manager reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023
Pros

I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project


profile
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
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I believe being genuine and true to yourself, is an essential combination for people in my field. Skills such as Leadership, Critical thinking, problem solving, communication and presentation skills, managing time and people at the same time, networking, planning and many more, are developed as we attain experience in this field. The usage of clear and concise communication to interact professionally with co-workers, supervisors and to the managers. Working in a team with people from diverse backgrounds with a deep understanding and awareness of differences in both individuals and organizations. I am focused and attentive to details when addressing high-volume tasks to meet the deadlines. I am inspired by making a positive impact to whatever task is assigned. These qualities and skills will help to support your company’s mission and I could become a great asset to your company, while reflecting positively on the professionalism in its employees.

Cons

So, basically I do not if my work is organized or systematic. I would redo my work in that case. I always like it in a systematic way. I also do not like if someone is planning according to the schedule. I always have my work schedule and work according to that.


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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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