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What is a performance manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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The chief duty of a performance manager is to monitor and improve the performance of employees in their company. To do this, they use organizational objectives and performance standards as bases. Usually, they are part of the human resources department and may also participate in hiring and training employees.

The work responsibilities of a performance manager may vary widely, but in general, these include analyzing performance data, evaluating employee performance using KPIs, conducting statistical performance analysis, and participating in the development of training materials as well as hiring standards. Sometimes, they also conduct interviews to help hiring managers to select the best talent.

The typical requirements for this role are a degree in business, management, or something similar, as well as prior work experience in a similar role. Most of the time, performance managers are also former hiring managers or team supervisors.

Since the performance of employees is imperative to a company's success, a performance manager's role is crucial. Hence, they make a high average salary of $104,000 per year, roughly $50 an hour.

ScorePerformance ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $103,521

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.36%

Black or African American 6.17%

Hispanic or Latino 15.17%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.50%

Gender

female 38.44%

male 61.56%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress Level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Performance Manager career paths

Key steps to become a performance manager

  1. Explore performance manager education requirements

    Most common performance manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.7 %

    Master's

    16.5 %

    Associate

    10.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific performance manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Performance Management9.15%
    Project Management8.51%
    Customer Service8.33%
    Process Improvement5.91%
    Performance Improvement5.70%
  3. Complete relevant performance manager training and internships

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

    • Manage a staff of 40 FTE exempt and non-exempt employees.
    • Manage the QA process to ensure all forecasting and billing goals are meet.
    • Manage position management project which assign job codes and create hierarchy in HRIS.
    • Manage in-house ShoreTel VLAN network and install and configure IP phones for new employees.
  5. Prepare your performance manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your performance 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 performance 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 Performance Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Performance 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 Performance Manager resume.
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
    Performance Manager Resume
  6. Apply for performance manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a performance 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 Performance Manager Job

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Average performance manager salary

The average Performance Manager salary in the United States is $103,521 per year or $50 per hour. Performance manager salaries range between $78,000 and $137,000 per year.

Average Performance Manager Salary
$103,521 Yearly
$49.77 hourly

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
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People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems


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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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