You may be looking for a career change or just a change of environment at a new company.
An Office Manager is a fairly broad term, and depending on the company and office you work at, the responsibilities can be varied.
Having a fresh understanding of what is required and how best to get a new job as an office manager will benefit you.
Provided below is an excellent resource to help you with a career as an office manager.
Office Manager Information Table
| Official Job Title | Office Manager |
| Average Salary | $81,566 / year |
| Stress Level | Above Average |
| Work / Life Balance | Average |
| Job Satisfaction | Average |
| Career Advancement | Average |
Office Manager Job Description
What Is an Office Manager?
An office manager is generally responsible for running an office environment smoothly.
Specifically, they assist the people working there, help provide resources to those people, and ensure they follow office procedures.
What Does An Office Manager Do On A Daily Basis?
A typical day for an office manager would include the following:
- Manage administrative staff, and set priorities and duties for the day.
- Manage office budget, and ensure spending stays within the budget.
- Maintain or liaise with HR on office procedures, such as health and safety protocols.
- Meet with new hires to provide keys and required equipment
- Review office policies with new hires.
- Partner with IT, Security, and HR on employee matters.
- Ensure kitchen supplies are not running low, such as food and drinks, and place orders for supplies as needed or on a schedule.
- Review and order any office supplies such as plants, furniture, stationery, and cleaning supplies.
- They will book venues, transport, and accommodation for any company retreats or activities.
- Work with vendors that provide services to the office, such as cleaning companies or even the landlord.
Responsibilities, Duties & Roles Of A Office Manager
- Manage administrative staff.
- Manage vendor relationships.
- Create and maintain office budget.
- Review and pay all office expenses within the set budget.
- Manage travel and accommodation for office staff.
- Create and maintain office policies
- Procure and maintain office equipment and supplies, including repairs or replacements.
Office Manager Salary
Pay scales for office managers vary depending on experience, company size, and the office size you are looking after.
You may also be supervising other staff and performing more or fewer duties than a typical office manager.
The salaries below are just estimates for typical office managers.
The other factor to consider is what city or state your office is located in.
Working in a major city vs. a small rural town will have a big difference in your pay.
Average Salary
The average salary for an office manager in the US is $81,566 per year.
Starting Salary
The starting salary for an office manager in the US could range from $58,000 – $63,000 per year.
Senior Salary
A senior office manager may be managing several other staff, may have a huge office to handle, and may have been with the company for a long time. The range of salary for a senior office manager is $94,000 – $106,000 per year.
How to Become an Office Manager
The Entry Level: Certification, Training & Degree
To become an office manager, you would need your high school diploma at a minimum, though preferably you have a college degree in business administration, human resources, or information management.
If you already have work experience, this would be a significant benefit, especially if that experience is in an administrative role or if you’ve managed people or facilities before.
Other Skill Sets, Requirements & Qualifications
An essential skill set required for office managers is strong computer skills, including hardware setup and office software such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
Previous experience in a similar role would be hugely beneficial, such as in an office or clerical position.
Specific office manager qualifications are generally not required.
However, having them will be a benefit when applying to more sort after positions.
- The International Facilities Management Association offers degrees in facility management.
- The Institute of Certified Records Managers offers a degree in record management.
- ARMA International offers a certificate in information governance.
How Long Does It Take To Become An Office Manager?
As many companies are looking for office managers, you can apply right now if you have a high school diploma or college degree.
However, you would need experience if looking to work for larger offices or organizations.
Is It Hard To Become An Office Manager?
It is not hard to become an office manager.
There are no specific requirements or qualifications you must have.
However, you must have and show the abilities required to do the job; otherwise, it will not be possible.
For example, it will be challenging to work as an office manager if you don’t have the confidence to talk with employees of all levels, discuss issues with external vendors, or have no computer skills.
Office Manager Career Paths
The Office Manager Roadmap
As an office manager, you will pick up a vast range of skills, work with a range of different departments and people, think on your feet, and manage various internal and external partnerships.
All of your work as an office manager, especially managing other people, are vital skills.
These skills will allow you to take on more responsibilities or move to larger organizations or offices.
So the standard progression would be to take on more responsibilities or change companies.
You can stay in your current role if that keeps you happy and fulfilled.
The other possibility is that you move into a different department to manage people and different responsibilities, especially if you have a degree in that area.
This move could be an operations manager, a facilities manager where you look after multiple offices with less emphasis on people, or you could move into billing or accounts payable manager positions.
After your office manager career and training, any position that focuses on managing people rather than a specific technical requirement is possible.
Projections For Growth In Office Manager Jobs
The projections for the growth of Office Managers are expected to increase by 7% over the next ten years, which is similar to most other office professions.
However, the requirements of the job may change, with some aspects going to supporting remote workers.
In Summary: Is Office Manager A Good Career?
An office manager career can be gratifying.
It is an excellent career choice for people looking to have new challenges every day and who love working with people in different departments and companies.
Office Manager Working Conditions
Can An Office Manager Work Remotely From Home?
It may be possible to work some days from home if you are working on budgets or with remote workers that day.
However, the office manager’s core responsibility is to look after an office, so not physically being there can make it difficult in some situations.
Therefore, expect to be required in the office at least part of the time.
How Many Hours Does An Office Manager Work?
An effective office manager would be working a standard 40-hour workweek.
However, you may be required to work on weekends or evenings when something is needed at the office, especially when significant changes or disturbances are planned outside of the working day, so as not to bother the employees.
Can An Office Manager Work Part-Time?
It may be possible to work part-time, depending on the size of the office and how much responsibility you have.
You would be on-call or change hours when something specific is needed at the office.
As mentioned above, you may be required to work on weekends or evenings to facilitate changes or maintenance to the office.
What Are The Average Vacation Days Of An Office Manager?
An office manager would get the normal vacation days as any other employee.
This would likely be an average of 10 days a year, with statutory holidays added.
This could be different depending on your state, your company, and your seniority.
Alternative Careers & Similar Jobs to an Office Manager
- HR Manager
- Personal Assistant
- Research Assistant
- Public Relationship Manager
- Executive Assistant
- Administrative Manager
- Medical Office Administrator
- Accounting Manager
- Administrative Manager
- Office Clerk
- Administrative Assistant
- Payroll Clerk
Office Manager Resume Tips
Some key points to include on your resume as an office manager would be:
- Budgeting experience
- Microsoft Office or similar software proficiency
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Previous experience managing people or projects
- Experience working with multiple external vendors
Office Manager Interview Questions
Q1: What is your understanding of the office manager role?
Why it works: Office managers have a variety of roles in different companies and even offices.
Therefore, the candidate should have the skills and understanding of what this specific role entails.
If that is not the case, it should be explained so both parties can better determine if the position is a good fit.
Q2: What office manager duties do you enjoy the most and least?
Why it works: If a particular role has more or less of the responsibilities enjoyed by the applicant, it may determine their effectiveness and longevity in the role.
For example, having to rehire quickly due to somebody leaving is not helpful to the company.
Q3: How do you manage confidential information?
Why it works: Some of the information handled by an office manager may be confidential to the company, and leaking this information externally or to internal employees may cause issues.
The office manager may also be responsible for private employee information, and there can be legal ramifications if this is not handled correctly.
Knowing the applicant understands this and has dealt with this type of information before allows a company to trust them.
Jobs Related to Office Managers
- Administrative Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Receptionist
- Facilities Manager
- Operations Manager
For HR Managers: Tips for Hiring an Office Manager
Key Characteristics To Look For In An Office Manager
The key characteristics of an effective office manager are:
- Flexibility
- The job requirements change daily depending on what is happening and what is required that day.
- Communication
- The office manager is likely the critical point between internal departments, management, and external vendors. Poor communication can cause issues and delays.
- Organizational skills
- Because an office manager entails handling various tasks, procedures, and people simultaneously, being able to juggle all of this will be required.
Minimum Level Of Education & Experience
While no degree or experience is required to become an office manager, a bachelor’s degree or experience managing people or facilities would be necessary.
Otherwise, you are taking a chance on an unknown entity.