Office Managers

At a Glance

Usually work in either customer service or clerical support
Plan the work of office and support staff
Hire, train, and supervise employees
Often deal with customers
Have several years of work experience

Career summary

Office managers plan and oversee the work of office staff.

Office managers may also be called office supervisors or first line supervisors/managers.

#I removed the ref to office administrators so as not to confuse with administrative service managers.

Office managers usually work in either customer service or clerical support. Their specific work tasks depend on the office, but they share many common duties.

Managers plan the work of office and support staff. They consider the strengths of each worker, deadlines, and the requirements of the job. Managers oversee staff to ensure the work is done properly and on time. They review each person's clerical work, or evaluate how they deal with customers.

Office managers evaluate staff performance and record the information in personnel files. If workers perform poorly, managers meet with them to discuss problems. They help workers to improve their performance. They might send them to a training course or arrange personal counseling.

Office managers interview and hire new staff. When new employees start work, managers orient them to the office and its procedures. They often teach new staff how to use the phone system, office equipment, and computer system. In addition, managers explain new procedures for regular staff. They train workers to operate new equipment or computer software. In some cases they arrange for outside training.

Managers resolve conflicts with upset customers or among staff members. They sometimes meet with union representatives to discuss work problems. Managers also consult with top managers about progress or issues in their department. They often suggest ways to improve office procedures.

Office managers perform many administrative duties. They perform routine work during busy periods. They compile data about their department and present it to top managers. They write progress reports. They make sure that office equipment runs properly. When it is needed, they request new equipment. In addition, office managers:

Keep records
Order supplies
Help plan budgets

Related careers

This career is part of the Business Management and Administration cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

Military careers

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to office managers.

Plan the work of staff. Consider staff strengths, work requirements, and deadlines when assigning tasks.
Observe and oversee staff to ensure quality and completion of work on schedule. May help with work output to meet deadlines.
Evaluate staff performance, record in file, and discuss with staff.
Assist staff with individual problems to improve performance.
Interview and hire new staff. Sometimes discharge staff.
Orient and train new staff in procedures and use of office equipment.
Interpret new policies and procedures. Train staff in new equipment or arrange for training.
Resolve conflicts with customers or among staff. May meet with union representatives to discuss work problems.
Consult with other departments or top managers about progress or problems. Suggest ways to improve procedures.
Compile and present data and information, often in the form of progress reports. Review records and reports to monitor work activities.
Keep equipment in good working order and request new equipment and supplies.
Maintain records and assist in budget planning.

Common work activities

Office managers perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

Use computers
Get information needed to do the job
Make decisions and solve problems
Process information
Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
Document and record information
Analyze data or information
Coach others
Evaluate information against standards
Identify objects, actions, and events
Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
Recruit, interview, or hire others
Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
Guide, direct, and motivate others
Organize, plan, and prioritize work
Establish and maintain relationships
Judge the value of objects, services, or people
Monitor and control resources
Develop and build teams
Update and use job-related knowledge
Teach others
Coordinate the work and activities of others
Communicate with people outside the organization
Think creatively
Develop goals and strategies
Perform administrative tasks
Provide advice and consultation to others
Explain the meaning of information to others
Schedule work and activities
Assist and care for others
Perform for or work with the public

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, office managers:

Interpersonal relationships

Communicate by telephone, e-mail, and in-person discussions. They also write letters and memos, but less often.
Have a high level of social contact. They work closely with the staff they supervise.
Usually work as part of a team of support staff.
Are substantially responsible for the work outcomes and results of their staff.
Sometimes deal with conflicts among staff or with upset customers.
Are somewhat responsible for the health and safety of others.

Physical work conditions

Nearly always work indoors.
May on occasion be exposed to loud sounds and distracting noise levels, such as from office equipment.

Work performance

Must be sure that all details are done and their work is exact. Late or unfinished projects could create problems for top managers, customers, or workers.
Repeat the same mental activities.
Make decisions that affect employees and their organization's reputation. They usually act independently when making a decision.
Set most of their daily tasks and goals without speaking to a superior first.
Must meet daily and weekly schedules.

Hours/travel

Usually work a standard 40-hour week.
May work nights, weekends, and holidays, if their organization operates extended hours.

Physical demands

Office managers frequently:

Sit for long periods of time.
Repeat the same movements.

It is important for office managers to be able to:

Understand the speech of another person.
Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for office managers to be able to:

See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.

Skills and abilities

Office managers need to:

Communicate

Understand spoken information.
Read and understand work-related materials.
Listen to others and ask questions.
Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Understand written information.
Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
Think of new ideas about a topic.
Recognize the nature of a problem.
Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
Develop rules that group items in various ways.
Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

Check how well one is learning or doing something.
Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
Teach others how to do something.
Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
Persuade others to approach things differently.
Look for ways to help people.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

Other programs of study to consider

Training

To work as an office manager, you typically need to:

have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
have one to five years related work experience.

Education after high school

You must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent to be an office manager. Many office managers have formal training beyond high school. An associate degree in office management is common. For some jobs you need a bachelor's degree in office administration.

You need basic office skills in accounting, word processing, and recordkeeping. In addition, you need to know how to manage an office as well as be familiar with database and spreadsheet software.

Work experience

Most office managers are promoted from within the company. You usually begin working in customer service or on the clerical staff. You usually need several years of experience before you can become a manager.

On-the-job training

Because of the fast changing nature of this field, employers may offer training in the newest office technologies and software. Some employers will offer short-term training, lasting about a month, to new hires to orient them to particular practices and policies.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to be administrative support specialists. Training lasts from six to ten weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

Accounting
Computer Applications
Introduction to Business
Office Procedures

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers prefer office managers who have leadership skills and are good at solving problems. They look for managers who are organized and efficient. Employers also prefer managers who get along well with people and can motivate them. Good working knowledge of the company's computer system is also important.

Many employers require office managers to have college training. Some require an associate degree, while others require a bachelor's degree.

Experience and knowledge of the organization are necessary for many positions.

Tips

Get as much formal education as possible. Concentrate on subjects you are good at and enjoy. Work on developing leadership and communication skills by getting involved in community, academic, or service clubs.

Costs to workers

Office managers may need to buy business clothing. They may also need to pay for extra college classes to keep up with changes in the occupation.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website (external link) .

Wages

First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (SOC 43-1011)

Location	Pay Period
Location	Pay Period	10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
Washington	Hourly	$18.25	$23.20	$29.39	$37.42	$47.57
	Monthly	$3,163	$4,021	$5,093	$6,485	$8,244
	Yearly	$37,950	$48,250	$61,130	$77,830	$98,940
Bellingham	Hourly	$19.44	$25.02	$28.97	$33.02	$39.67
	Monthly	$3,369	$4,336	$5,021	$5,722	$6,875
	Yearly	$40,427	$52,039	$60,258	$68,698	$82,523
Bremerton-Silverdale	Hourly	$21.38	$25.02	$31.07	$42.92	$51.26
	Monthly	$3,705	$4,336	$5,384	$7,438	$8,883
	Yearly	$44,460	$52,046	$64,624	$89,260	$106,601
Clarkston-Lewiston	Hourly	$15.89	$17.99	$22.86	$30.12	$37.91
	Monthly	$2,754	$3,118	$3,962	$5,220	$6,570
	Yearly	$33,042	$37,415	$47,564	$62,669	$78,851
Kennewick-Richland	Hourly	$18.32	$22.61	$28.87	$36.69	$47.26
	Monthly	$3,175	$3,918	$5,003	$6,358	$8,190
	Yearly	$38,122	$47,010	$60,067	$76,314	$98,309
Longview	Hourly	$16.09	$20.57	$27.74	$37.17	$46.28
	Monthly	$2,788	$3,565	$4,807	$6,442	$8,020
	Yearly	$33,480	$42,788	$57,703	$77,325	$96,252
Mount Vernon-Anacortes	Hourly	$17.96	$22.90	$29.87	$37.59	$45.02
	Monthly	$3,112	$3,969	$5,176	$6,514	$7,802
	Yearly	$37,342	$47,643	$62,131	$78,199	$93,632
Olympia-Tumwater	Hourly	$17.46	$21.44	$25.44	$32.60	$41.23
	Monthly	$3,026	$3,716	$4,409	$5,650	$7,145
	Yearly	$36,334	$44,595	$52,918	$67,814	$85,758
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	Hourly	$19.66	$25.02	$31.45	$40.15	$50.82
	Monthly	$3,407	$4,336	$5,450	$6,958	$8,807
	Yearly	$40,880	$52,056	$65,413	$83,519	$105,709
Spokane-Spokane Valley	Hourly	$17.23	$21.57	$27.46	$34.16	$41.07
	Monthly	$2,986	$3,738	$4,759	$5,920	$7,117
	Yearly	$35,843	$44,872	$57,116	$71,049	$85,442
Vancouver	Hourly	$18.11	$23.17	$29.24	$36.31	$43.10
	Monthly	$3,138	$4,015	$5,067	$6,293	$7,469
	Yearly	$37,663	$48,195	$60,818	$75,529	$89,662
Walla Walla	Hourly	$17.01	$20.61	$25.18	$30.86	$37.00
	Monthly	$2,948	$3,572	$4,364	$5,348	$6,412
	Yearly	$35,384	$42,859	$52,360	$64,202	$76,949
Wenatchee	Hourly	$18.54	$21.81	$26.13	$34.31	$39.85
	Monthly	$3,213	$3,780	$4,528	$5,946	$6,906
	Yearly	$38,557	$45,369	$54,343	$71,364	$82,893
Yakima	Hourly	$17.38	$21.83	$27.45	$32.25	$39.79
	Monthly	$3,012	$3,783	$4,757	$5,589	$6,896
	Yearly	$36,164	$45,394	$57,094	$67,083	$82,775
United States	Hourly	$16.27	$20.56	$26.83	$34.40	$43.43
	Monthly	$2,820	$3,563	$4,650	$5,962	$7,526
	Yearly	$33,850	$42,750	$55,810	$71,550	$90,320

Wages vary by area of the country and by employer.

Most full-time office managers receive typical benefits. These include sick leave, vacation, and health insurance. In addition, some office managers who work for private companies receive bonuses or stock options.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (SOC 43-1011)

		This occupation	All occupations
Location	Current employment	Growth over 10 years		Annual openings
Washington	30,858	13.4%	16.1%	4,015
Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties	785	10.2%	13.4%	96
Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties	585	7.0%	8.6%	66
Benton and Franklin Counties	856	11.6%	15.0%	108
Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties	1,066	9.8%	11.9%	129
Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties	2,105	10.9%	15.2%	260
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties	1,795	9.5%	14.1%	216
Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties	1,532	10.8%	14.6%	190
King County	12,908	18.3%	19.6%	1,838
Kittitas, Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima Counties	1,024	12.4%	13.8%	131
Pierce County	3,830	-2.7%	15.2%	332
Snohomish County	2,634	7.9%	12.4%	307
Spokane County	2,401	9.5%	13.9%	289
United States	1,557,500	-0.9%	5.2%	161,100

National employment

Office managers work in almost every industry.

Major employers:

Banks and credit unions
Local, state, and federal government agencies
Doctors' offices

National outlook

Growth for this occupation will show little to no change. Most new jobs for office managers will be created in health care settings. The health care industry is growing rapidly and there are more people in it who need to be supervised. Schools, department stores, and temporary worker agencies will also add many new jobs for office managers. However, office automation will limit growth.

Job openings will also occur as people leave the occupation to retire or move to other jobs.

Other resources

American Management Association

Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals
900 South Washington Street, Suite G-13
Falls Church, VA 22046
703.237.8616

Careers in the Military

International Association of Administrative Professionals
10502 North Ambassador Drive, Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64153
816.891.6600

Washington Business Week
PO Box 1170
Renton, WA 98057
253.237.3545

References

Career cluster

Business Management and Administration

Career path

Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (43-1011.00)

O*Net job zone

Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.