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What is a problem manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The role of a Problem Manager is that of managing the lifecycle of problems in a company. Primary objectives are preventing incidents from happening and minimizing the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented. Problem management consists of two processes: one is reactive Problem Management that is part of a Service Operation. The other is a proactive problem manager initiated in service operations and part of continual service improvement.

As a Problem Manager, you will prioritize and plan problems, communicate with stakeholders, inform the Change Manager, defer problems, decide on the investigation of known errors, conduct problem reviews and document learned lessons, close problems and inform stakeholders, monitor the problem and known error resolution progress and perform the required actions.

To become a Problems Manager, you will need experience in risk management or a process used for the identification and analysis of potential risks to an organization. You will need a bachelor's degree in customer service, risk management, or a business major. You can make an average salary of $88,000 a year.

ScoreProblem ManagerUS Average
Salary
6.2

Avg. Salary $79,324

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 13.23%

Black or African American 6.68%

Hispanic or Latino 10.02%

Unknown 5.20%

White 64.66%

Gender

female 31.30%

male 68.70%

Age - 47
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 - 47
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Problem manager career paths

Key steps to become a problem manager

  1. Explore problem manager education requirements

    Most common problem manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.1 %

    Associate

    17.8 %

    Master's

    14.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific problem manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Infrastructure10.48%
    RCA8.14%
    Identify Trends6.96%
    Trend Analysis6.05%
    Proactive Problem5.88%
  3. Complete relevant problem manager training and internships

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

    • Manage team SharePoint site including site administration and developing customize pages from templates.
    • Manage professional services providing highly skil consultants to build messaging, collaboration and cloud solutions for enterprise clients.
    • Used ITIL and ITSM requirements to standardize problem management process.
    • Lead project to revamp categorization of ITSM tool for more comprehensive reporting.
  5. Apply for problem manager jobs

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

Zippi

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Average problem manager salary

The average problem manager salary in the United States is $79,324 per year or $38 per hour. Problem manager salaries range between $53,000 and $116,000 per year.

Average problem manager salary
$79,324 Yearly
$38.14 hourly

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Problem manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021
Cons

Juggling multiple tasks and projects was always a constant struggle. I also felt very frustrated at times working with third party vendors and consultants remotely.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

The opportunity to render services to client, and managing technology by giving key information to customers.


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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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