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Job outlook for station managers in the United States
Station manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected station manager job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for station managers are projected over the next decade.
Station manager salaries have increased 4% for station managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,754 station managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 347,820 active station manager job openings in the US.
The average station manager salary is $58,357.
Are station manager jobs in demand?
Station manager job and salary trends over time
Station manager jobs over time
Station manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,754 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,738 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,823 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,647 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,523 | 0.00% |
Average station manager salary over time
Station manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,357 | $28.06 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $56,742 | $27.28 | --0.1% |
| 2023 | $56,826 | $27.32 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $56,533 | $27.18 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $55,914 | $26.88 | +1.6% |
Station manager jobs by state
Most common states for station managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 531 | 77% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 576 | 43% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 405 | 42% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,785 | 41% |
| 5 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 4,061 | 39% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,212 | 38% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,504 | 38% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,151 | 37% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,777 | 36% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,111 | 36% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,958 | 35% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,946 | 35% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1,273 | 35% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4,306 | 34% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 354 | 34% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 3,370 | 33% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,416 | 33% |
| 18 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 2,288 | 33% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,022 | 33% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,932 | 33% |
Most common cities for station managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawnee | 1 | 2% | $39,913 |
| 2 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $65,111 |
| 3 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $66,034 |
Station Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of station manager experts
Murray State University
Pennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Tiffin University
Pepperdine University, Seaver College
Sam Houston State University
Farmingdale State College
The City College of New York
Belmont University
Sonoma State University
Dr. Ben Littlepage
ProfessorMurray State University
Educational Administration And Supervision
What will help Station Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Ben Littlepage: Salary is maximized when leaders are sought after. Leaders who pursue meaningful experiences and remain 'market ready' are viewed as an asset to any organization. Leaders must carefully consider where the field is moving and respond.
What Station Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Business professionals lead organizations by focused efforts that revolve around products/services, processes, and people. Business professionals work to ensure the firm's products and/or services meet customer expectations, with an eye toward an ever-changing market. They manage processes that produce or support the firm's products. This requires the ability to analyze data to make informed decisions, to drive continuous improvement, and to solve problems through critical thinking. Successful business professionals must also create climates that promote teamwork and foster collaboration.
Bernie Cerasaro
Assistant Teaching ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Business Department
What skills stand out on Station Manager resumes?
Bernie Cerasaro: Skills employers would be looking for would be functional skills and interpersonal skills. Functional skills should stand out on a resume and be aligned to the business job in question. For example, if focused on marketing positions, marketing skills such as data analytics, market research, consumer behavior, global marketing, and professional selling skills would be areas for which employers would be looking. If the job market is looking for someone in accounting, then functional skills that would stand out would be intermediate financial accounting skills and courses on taxation and auditing. For those seeking positions in project management or supply chain management, skills that would stand out would encompass subject matter such as project management, portfolio management, operations planning and control, purchasing and materials management, and knowledge of ERP type systems and other business processes.
Skill sets can be enhanced via various types of certification. For example, those interested in accounting might pursue a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license, which requires 150 credits. As most universities require 120 credits for a bachelor's degree in business, a CPA would require just an additional 30 credits, which students can start accumulating while still at college. Project management certification is also an opportunity to enhance the aforementioned skills and would certainly stand out on an applicant's resume. The Project Management Institute (PMI) promotes PMP certification, which validates that you are highly skilled in soft skills to lead project teams and have the required technical aspects of managing projects. Some universities are working with the PMI to have PMI-approved courses. Approved courses are used toward the PMP training hours required to sit for the exam. For example, Penn State University has received approval for two such courses, Portfolio Management and Organizations and Project Planning and Resource Management.
Due to the high rate of interaction with the global marketplace and the complexity of international business, managers are looking more closely at applicants who have some familiarity with global markets and international culture, such as applicants who may have study abroad experience, traveled internationally, speak a foreign language or have lived or worked in another country.
Dr. Bonnie Tiell
Professor of Sport ManagementTiffin University
School of Business
What skills will help Station Managers earn the most?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Skills helping managers earn the most are those that impact the bottom line - it depends on the organization's needs, but those that can produce or increase revenue will earn more --- sales!
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Station Managers?
Steven Bauer: The coronavirus has accelerated the transformation to a digital world, and this effect will continue after the pandemic is behind us. Graduates will need to be able to navigate a hybrid business environment, with in-person and virtual meetings, interactions and platforms. There will also be increased opportunities to be entrepreneurial and innovative in the digital area. In addition, graduates will have to become more skilled at navigating a global environment since greater digitization will draw countries closer to each other.
Carliss Miller Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of ManagementSam Houston State University
Department of Management & Marketing
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Station Manager job market given the pandemic?
Carliss Miller Ph.D.: Flexible working arrangements were considered a perk or benefit, but given the pandemic more and more jobs will be designed with flexible work arrangements in mind. We will continue to see trends in the labor market with a push towards personal services (e.g. virtual assistants, professional organizers) and professional services. There will also continue to be a demand for knowledge work. More and more, employers are looking to hire applicants that can provide concrete evidence of being "Day 1" ready.
Employers will focus more on identifying prospects with certain "soft skills" which were a nice-to-have pre-pandemic, but are now critical for organizational survival. These skills include: critical thinking, agility, ability to adapt to change, resilience, virtual team effectiveness, crisis management, emotional intelligence, empathy, and inclusive leadership. Additionally, data analysis and interpretation is a highly sought after skill even for jobs that historically did not require analytical ability.
Xu Zhang Ph.D.
ChairFarmingdale State College
Department of Economics
What skills stand out on Station Manager resumes?
Xu Zhang Ph.D.: I believe the most important attributes employers seek on a resume remain the same-problem solving skills, team work skills, analytical/quantitative skills, verbal and written communication skills. However, given the pandemic or any other unexpected shock to work environment, how to quickly and efficiently adapt to new work modes can be a very valuable attribute standing out on resume.
What type of skills will young Station Managers need?
Prabal Kumar De Ph.D.: I think the necessary skills remain the same. One modification that would stay is greater virtual engagement. Therefore, newly essential skills such as acing a virtual interview, making a mark during a Zoom meeting, or managing or being a valuable part of a remote working group would be useful long after the immediate threats from the COVID-19 crisis be gone.
Nina Woodard
Senior Career Development SpecialistBelmont University
Office of Career & Professional Development
What Station Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nina Woodard: For entertainment, digital marketing and content creation skills are critical. Even if a role isn't specifically connected to digital marketing, social media is almost always involved in most entry-level roles. We strongly encourage students and recent graduates to learn basic graphic design platforms, video editing and audio editing. Learning how to maximize impact on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok is also a worthy investment of time. There's a wide range of self-paced training resources online, many available for free or at reduced costs for students.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Station Manager job market given the pandemic?
Nina Woodard: The pandemic hasn't impacted all areas of the entertainment industry in the same way. Anything related to live events and touring has been placed on an extended pause, which has been very difficult for graduates hoping to work in those fields. On an encouraging note, consumers will always find a way back to live experiences, so that segment of the industry will absolutely recover; the timing is just still a bit unknown. Other areas such as record or publishing companies have held steady. And, digital marketing and content creation companies are as busy, if not busier, than they've ever been as artists seek alternative ways to stay connected to their fans. Technology has intersected with entertainment in exciting, creative ways that will continue even as some of the more traditional avenues become available again. For many companies, ideas that started as pivots are now vibrant components of their long-term strategies.
The way we work may have also permanently changed. Companies have realized that remote working is a truly viable option for most businesses. While maintaining company culture, and the social nature of an entertainment-based organization, may still require some level of in-person interaction, it seems likely that many organizations may continue with remote/hybrid office models.
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.
Adjunct LecturerSonoma State University
School of Business & Economics
What type of skills will young Station Managers need?
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.: I see the essential human skills gaining importance to build a new post-covid work life. These include creativity, leading and working in teams, writing, speaking, being self-aware, and lowering bias and networking; career branding as critical areas for graduates to focus on now.
What experience really stands out on Station Manager resumes?
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.: Most important on resumes to only show accomplishments you are proud of and reflect measurable success and completion of past work. These accomplishments should be a snapshot of what we have done and can do in the future. The most important two lines of a resume are in the objectives, to list what the person is seeking. These two lines give the reader a quick view of what the person wants.
Now is a great time to start the new year to build a portable work portfolio to represent an alignment of what a person is excited about and enjoys in their work.