An office manager keeps an office running by supervising staff, setting schedules, resolving problems, managing records and budgets and ordering supplies and services.
It is a leadership role in almost every industry, and most employers look for related experience plus strong organization and communication skills.
This guide explains what office managers do each day, the skills and requirements employers expect, what the work is like, what office managers earn and how to get hired in the United States.
The BLS has no separate office manager category, so the figures below come from two closely related groups: first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, which ONET lists Office Manager under, and administrative services managers, a broader and higher-level group.
All numbers come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and ONET unless noted.
Quick jump: Daily dutiesSkillsRequirementsQualificationsWork environmentSalaryOutlookCareer pathHow to get hiredJob facts
Office Manager Daily Duties and Responsibilities
Duties change by office size and industry, but most days follow the same pattern: plan, supervise, resolve, track and support.
| Part of the day | Typical duties |
|---|---|
| Start of day | Review the day’s schedule, messages, requests and staffing, and check that supplies and equipment are ready |
| Supervising staff | Supervise office, administrative or customer service staff for quality, deadlines and procedures, and guide employees on difficult problems |
| Customers and questions | Resolve customer complaints and answer questions about policies and procedures |
| Schedules and assignments | Prepare work schedules, deadlines and duty assignments, and train employees or arrange for training |
| Records and budgets | Review records and reports, compute figures such as totals and balances and give input to budget planning |
| Supplies and services | Monitor inventory, order supplies and plan office services such as equipment, relocation, maintenance and security |
| End of day | Follow up on open items, update records and prepare priorities for the next day |
Here is the full list of office manager duties and responsibilities, based on O*NET and the BLS:
| Duty | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| Supervise staff | Supervise office, administrative or customer service staff for quality, deadlines and procedures |
| Resolve complaints | Resolve customer complaints and answer questions about policies and procedures |
| Guide employees | Guide employees on difficult problems, escalated complaints and disputes |
| Review records | Review production, payroll or shipping records to verify details and evaluate performance |
| Schedule work | Prepare work schedules, deadlines and duty assignments |
| Hire and train | Recruit, interview and select employees, and train staff or arrange for training |
| Communicate policies | Interpret and communicate work procedures and company policies, and implement departmental policies and service standards |
| Evaluate performance | Evaluate job performance and discuss performance problems with employees to find causes |
| Prepare reports | Research and prepare reports, manuals or correspondence for management |
| Manage budgets | Analyze financial activities, compute figures and give input into budget planning |
| Maintain records | Maintain records on inventory, personnel, orders and supplies |
| Order supplies | Monitor inventory levels and requisition or purchase supplies |
| Plan office services | Plan office services such as equipment, supply, relocation, parking, maintenance or security, and arrange maintenance or repairs |
| Improve procedures | Develop or update procedures, policies or standards and recommend staffing or procedural changes to management |
Office Manager Skills
Employers look for a mix of practical skills you can show on the job and people skills that help you lead a team.
Hard skills
| Skill | How you use it |
|---|---|
| Staff scheduling and supervision | Assigning work, setting deadlines and checking quality |
| Budgeting and financial tracking | Computing totals, tracking spending and giving budget input; O*NET lists QuickBooks among hot technologies |
| Records and reporting | Keeping records accurate and preparing reports for management |
| Office software | Microsoft Outlook, Word, SharePoint and Teams, plus Google Docs and Slack, which O*NET lists among hot technologies |
| Purchasing and inventory | Monitoring supplies and ordering what the office needs |
| Policy and procedure writing | Developing and updating office procedures and standards |
Soft skills
| Quality | What O*NET and the BLS say |
|---|---|
| Leadership | O*NET lists leadership orientation as a work style, and ‘coordinate or lead others’ is extremely important for 37% |
| Communication | Active listening, speaking and reading comprehension are essential skills (O*NET) |
| Judgment and decision making | O*NET lists it among transferable skills |
| Social perceptiveness | Read people and respond to their needs (O*NET) |
| Attention to detail | Listed as a work style; 42% say being exact or accurate is extremely important (O*NET) |
| Cooperation | Listed as a work style; 60% say working as part of a team is extremely important (O*NET) |
O*NET also lists instructing, management of personnel resources, time management, negotiation and persuasion as transferable skills.
Office Manager Position Requirements
| Requirement | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Education | A bachelor’s degree is common, though some enter with a high school diploma (BLS). In O*NET survey data, 45% of employers required a bachelor’s degree, 23% a high school diploma and 20% some college |
| Experience | Related work experience is required; O*NET Job Zone Three says previous work-related skill, knowledge or experience is required, and the BLS lists less than 5 years for administrative services managers |
| Training | Usually one to two years of combined on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers (O*NET Job Zone Three) |
| Certification | Not required; the BLS says professional certification may help for administrative services and facilities managers |
| Computer skills | Strong command of email, office, scheduling and accounting software |
| Availability | O*NET reports 61% work a typical 40-hour week, and the BLS says some administrative services managers work more than 40 hours |
Requirements vary by employer and industry, so read each posting closely before you apply.
Office Manager Qualifications
Requirements are the minimum to apply. Qualifications are what make a candidate stand out.
| Qualification | What employers look for |
|---|---|
| Minimum qualifications | Related office or administrative experience, strong organization and communication skills and working knowledge of office software |
| Preferred education | A bachelor’s degree, often in business or a related field |
| Preferred experience | Experience supervising staff, handling budgets and managing records or office services |
| Software skills | QuickBooks or similar accounting tools, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, calendar and project tools |
| Professional certification | Optional; the BLS says it may help |
| Core abilities | Analytical, communication, attention to detail and leadership skills (BLS) |
Office Manager Work Environment
| Work condition | What office supervisors report |
|---|---|
| Phone and email | 98% talk on the telephone every day, and 89% use email every day (O*NET) |
| Face-to-face contact | 96% have face-to-face discussions every day, and 74% have constant contact with others (O*NET) |
| Public contact | 60% say dealing with external customers or the public is extremely important (O*NET) |
| Teamwork | 60% say working as part of a team is extremely important (O*NET) |
| Responsibility | 48% report very high responsibility for the work outcomes of other workers (O*NET) |
| Conflict | 48% deal with unpleasant or angry people once a month or more (O*NET) |
| Sitting | 61% say they sit continually or almost continually (O*NET) |
| Setting | The BLS says administrative services managers work mostly in offices; most work full time |
Most office managers work full time in an office.
Where office managers work
| Industry (administrative services managers) | Share of jobs | Median salary (May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare and social assistance | 13% | $101,850 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 11% | $128,020 |
| Educational services | 11% | $107,030 |
| Finance and insurance | 9% | $131,650 |
| State government (excluding education and hospitals) | 8% | $103,790 |
Office Manager Salary
Because the BLS has no separate office manager category, the salary depends on which group matches your job. O*NET lists Office Manager under first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, with a May 2025 median of $69,500 a year. Larger offices and higher-level roles may fall under administrative services managers, where the BLS reports a median of $114,130, with the lowest 10% earning less than $67,100 and the highest 10% earning more than $207,720.
| Measure | Median salary (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (O*NET lists Office Manager as a job title) | $69,500 a year, or $33.41 an hour |
| Administrative services managers (BLS, including business office managers in small organizations) | $114,130 a year |
| Facilities managers (BLS) | $106,660 a year |
| All occupations (BLS) | $50,980 a year |
Your salary depends on your office size, industry, state and experience, so compare postings in your area.
Office Manager Job Outlook
O*NET projects little or no change in employment of first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers from 2025 to 2035, with about 127,400 openings. The BLS projects 5% growth for administrative services managers, about 14,400 jobs, and expects demand from continued emphasis on efficiency and process improvement. Most openings come from workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, such as by retiring.
Office Manager Career Path
The BLS does not describe an advancement ladder for administrative services managers. It says they typically come from related managerial and leadership roles, and that facilities managers often come from business operations, project management or building maintenance. O*NET lists related job titles such as office supervisor, accounting manager and customer service manager.
Office management experience also connects to other careers:
| Related job | Typical entry education | Median salary (May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Property, real estate and community association managers | High school diploma | $69,990 |
| Meeting, convention and event planners | Bachelor’s degree | $61,160 |
| Management analysts | Bachelor’s degree | $101,860 |
| Human resources managers | Bachelor’s degree | $149,280 |
How to Get an Office Manager Job
- Build office experience. Start in an administrative, customer service or office support role.
- Take on leadership tasks. Train new hires, lead projects and coordinate schedules.
- Learn the numbers. Get comfortable with budgets, reports and accounting software.
- Consider more education. A bachelor’s degree is common for larger offices.
- Apply and show your strengths. Highlight organization, communication and problem solving in your application.
Is this job right for you?
- Do you enjoy keeping an office organized and running smoothly?
- Are you comfortable leading and coaching a team?
- Can you stay calm when staff or customers are upset?
- Do you like working with records, budgets and reports?
- Can you handle many small decisions every day?
Office Manager Job Facts at a Glance
| Quick fact | What to know |
|---|---|
| What office managers do | Supervise office staff, set schedules, resolve complaints, manage records, budgets and supplies and keep the office running smoothly |
| Median salary (May 2025) | $69,500 a year, or $33.41 an hour, for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (O*NET); $114,130 for administrative services managers (BLS) |
| Jobs in 2025 | About 1,506,100 office supervisors (O*NET); about 279,000 administrative services managers (BLS) |
| Job outlook, 2025 to 2035 | Little or no change for office supervisors (O*NET); 5% growth for administrative services managers (BLS) |
| Education | A bachelor’s degree is common, though some enter with a high school diploma |
| Experience | Related work experience is required; the BLS says less than 5 years for administrative services managers |
| Training | Usually one to two years of combined on-the-job experience and informal training (O*NET Job Zone Three) |
| Key tools | Microsoft Office, Outlook, QuickBooks, SharePoint, Teams and scheduling and accounting software |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an office manager do?
Office managers supervise office staff, set schedules and assignments, resolve complaints, keep records, handle budgets and supplies and plan office services, according to O*NET and the BLS.
What are the main duties of an office manager?
Supervising staff, scheduling work, hiring and training, resolving complaints, reviewing records, preparing reports, giving budget input, ordering supplies and developing office procedures.
What skills does an office manager need?
O*NET lists active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking and critical thinking as essential skills, plus coordination, social perceptiveness and judgment and decision making. The BLS lists analytical, communication, attention to detail and leadership skills for administrative services managers.
What education does an office manager need?
A bachelor’s degree is common, though some enter with a high school diploma, according to the BLS. In O*NET survey data, 45% of employers required a bachelor’s degree and 23% a high school diploma.
How much experience does an office manager need?
Related work experience is required. O*NET Job Zone Three says previous work-related skill, knowledge or experience is required, and the BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience for administrative services managers.
What is the difference between an office manager and an administrative assistant?
Office managers supervise staff and manage budgets, records and office services, while administrative assistants handle day-to-day support tasks. The BLS reports a May 2025 median of $48,310 for secretaries and administrative assistants.
How much do office managers make?
The BLS has no separate office manager category. O*NET lists Office Manager under first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, with a May 2025 median of $69,500 a year ($33.41 an hour). The BLS reports $114,130 for administrative services managers, a broader and higher-level group.
Where do office managers work?
The BLS says healthcare and social assistance employs 13% of administrative services managers, professional, scientific and technical services 11%, educational services 11%, finance and insurance 9% and state government 8%.
Is an office manager the same as a business office manager?
The BLS says small organizations may use a title such as business office manager for administrative services managers. Titles vary by employer, so read each posting closely.
What is the job outlook for office managers?
O*NET projects little or no change for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers from 2025 to 2035, with about 127,400 openings. The BLS projects 5% growth for administrative services managers, about 14,400 jobs.
Conclusion
An office manager supervises staff, schedules work, resolves problems, manages records and budgets and keeps the office running. The job typically needs related experience, strong organization and communication skills and comfort with office and accounting software. If you are ready to apply, use the resources below to prepare.
Related Reading
- Office manager resume sample
- Office manager cover letter sample
- Office manager interview questions and answers
- Sample reference letter for an office manager
Sources: O*NET OnLine, 43-1011.00 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Administrative Services and Facilities Managers. Requirements vary by employer and industry; check the posting before you apply.