How To Become A Senior Subcontract Administrator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior subcontract administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Eileen Cyr Ed.D.

The salary for a senior subcontract administrator is quite competitive, on average $81,399 annually. A bachelor's degree is the most commonly required education level to become a senior subcontract administrator, mostly from business or management programs. Essential skills that one would need to successfully perform duties in this position include knowledge of project management, subcontract agreements, subcontract specifications, procedures, and compliance.

In general, Senior Subcontract Administrators get involved in the full subcontracting cycle. A senior subcontract administrator offers his/her or her expertise in leading the sourcing, selection, awarding, and administration of subcontracts. Cutting across multiple industries, senior subcontract administrators routinely manage a company's subcontracts, develop policies and strategies for negotiating subcontracts, ensure that subcontractors abide by the contract terms, and evaluate and examine the terms of new proposals and contracts.

What general advice would you give to a senior subcontract administrator?

Eileen Cyr Ed.D.

Professor, Springfield College

Use every resource at their disposal to increase their understanding of SEL and FACE. Build a resume that provides evidence of their ability to thrive in both a virtual and face to face classroom. Be prepared to engage with online platforms like Zoom, Nearpod, Jamboard, Padlet, and google slides.

Breathe - the airline advice of putting on your oxygen mask before assisting others is 100% applicable to today's teachers.

ScoreSenior Subcontract AdministratorUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $63,381

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate -6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 7.48%

Black or African American 9.10%

Hispanic or Latino 12.47%

Unknown 4.41%

White 65.75%

Gender

female 40.37%

male 59.63%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior subcontract administrator

Explore senior subcontract administrator education requirements

Most common senior subcontract administrator degrees

Bachelor's

68.4 %

Master's

17.4 %

Associate

8.7 %

Start to develop specific senior subcontract administrator skills

Skills	Percentages
Price Analysis	10.92%
Subcontract Administration	6.20%
Program Management	4.51%
Purchase Orders	3.80%
Procurement Policies	3.66%

Complete relevant senior subcontract administrator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior subcontract administrators 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 senior subcontract administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior subcontract administrator resumes.

Research senior subcontract administrator duties and responsibilities

Process purchase orders and subcontracts, including managing insurance requirement compliance and certify payroll documentation.
Conduct price analyses under DoD prime contract.
Book savings on the FFP FS4 and FS5 option contract in the amount of $170k.
Review design proposals, generate RFP bid documents for distribution

Get senior subcontract administrator experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior subcontract administrator. The most common roles before becoming a senior subcontract administrator include subcontract administrator, buyer team lead and senior buyer.

Prepare your senior subcontract administrator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior subcontract administrator 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 senior subcontract administrator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior subcontract administrator resume templates

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