Office Support · Hiring guide
BLS counts office managers as first-line supervisors, and that is the test to hire against: someone who directs people, vendors and budgets, not the most organized admin on the team. Careerscape recruits office managers nationally from a remote team whose recruiters specialize in office and operations roles.
Which title
Titles overlap, but these jobs own different things. Decide which one matches the work before you write the posting.
| Title | Usually owns | Usually leads | How BLS counts it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office manager | Daily running of one office: staff schedules, vendors, supplies, budget, new-hire logistics, sometimes bookkeeping and payroll inputs | Receptionists, admins or clerks | First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (43-1011) |
| Workplace or workplace experience manager | Space, amenities, events and the in-office experience, often across several sites | Facilities vendors and coordinators | No dedicated BLS occupation |
| Administrative services manager | Facilities, records, mail and support services for a larger organization | Several supervisors | Administrative services managers (11-3012) |
| Practice manager | A medical or dental practice, including billing, payer issues and patient flow | Front desk, billing and support staff | Medical and health services managers (11-9111) |
| Executive assistant | One executive's calendar, communications and priorities | Usually no one | Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (43-6011) |
If most of the hours go to one leader, see our executive assistant page. For clinics, the practice manager page fits better. Source: O*NET OnLine, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers.
Template
Keep only the duties your office really has. A posting that lists bookkeeping, HR, IT and facilities attracts generalists who are thin in all four.
We are hiring an office manager to run day-to-day operations at our [city] office of [number] people. You will supervise [number and roles], manage vendors and the office budget, and make sure the office is safe, stocked and ready for the people who work in it. You report to [title].
National pay
BLS counts office managers as first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, so the figures below cover a broader group that also includes customer service and accounts payable supervisors.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
A small-office manager leading one or two people often sits near the 10th to 25th percentiles ($45,610 to $55,950). The median ($69,500) fits a manager who owns vendors and budget for a single site. The 75th percentile ($85,090) and above usually means several direct reports, finance or HR duties, or more than one location. Even the 10th percentile is above the federal overtime salary floor of $35,568 a year, so the duties test, not salary, usually decides exempt status. See the office manager salary guide for more detail. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers. BLS does not publish this title separately; the figures are for first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, the closest BLS occupation, which can include other job titles. Pay by level and city: Office Manager salary guide.
Overtime status
Federal law exempts an office manager from overtime only if every test below is met. This is a summary of the U.S. Department of Labor's executive exemption, not legal advice; state rules can be stricter.
The person must be paid a fixed salary of at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year). A federal court vacated the Department of Labor's 2024 overtime rule in November 2024, so this 2019 level has applied since; DOL removed the 2024 rule text from its regulations on May 15, 2026. Your state may set a higher floor.
The main job must be managing the business or a recognized department or subdivision, such as the office itself. Doing admin work most of the day, with some supervision on the side, does not qualify.
They must customarily and regularly direct the work of two or more full-time employees, or the equivalent in part-time staff. A one-person office cannot meet this test.
They must be able to hire or fire, or their recommendations on hiring, firing and promotion must be given particular weight.
Pay overtime for hours over 40 a week, or ask counsel whether the administrative exemption (DOL Fact Sheet 17C) applies to the role as designed.
Unwritten duties
These rarely appear in a posting but often decide whether the hire works out. Ask candidates which of them they have handled.
Many employers with more than 10 employees must keep OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301, though some industries are partially exempt. In small companies, the office manager often keeps them.
Every employer must report a work-related death to OSHA within eight hours, and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye no more than 24 hours after learning of it. Someone in the office has to know this.
Establishments that meet OSHA's size and industry criteria must submit injury data each year between January 2 and March 2 through the Injury Tracking Application.
IFMA's Facility Management Professional (FMP) has no prerequisites, covers four core topics and is described by IFMA as a lifelong credential. Its Certified Facility Manager (CFM) requires facilities experience and recertification every three years.
IAAP's CAP covers office and records management, operations and project management, renews every three years, and lets holders add specialty certificates to the credential.
29 metros
BLS metro data for the broader first-line office supervisor group in the 29 markets we track. Concentration of 1.00 equals the national share.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 95,180 | $80,760+16% | 1.09 |
| Los Angeles | 54,340 | $77,530+12% | 0.94 |
| Dallas | 45,710 | $73,070+5% | 1.22 |
| Houston | 36,940 | $65,990−5% | 1.22 |
| Chicago | 33,180 | $71,730+3% | 0.80 |
| Philadelphia | 28,900 | $72,700+5% | 1.08 |
| Miami | 26,510 | $67,550−3% | 1.02 |
| Atlanta | 25,800 | $69,990+1% | 0.97 |
| Boston | 25,630 | $77,990+12% | 1.03 |
| Phoenix | 23,940 | $65,470−6% | 1.09 |
| Washington, DC | 23,390 | $76,400+10% | 0.81 |
| San Francisco | 19,480 | $88,560+27% | 0.89 |
| Seattle | 18,020 | $81,640+17% | 0.93 |
| Nashville | 17,890 | $73,060+5% | 1.76 |
| Austin | 17,400 | $76,240+10% | 1.46 |
| Baltimore | 15,070 | $75,590+9% | 1.20 |
| Denver | 14,710 | $79,120+14% | 0.99 |
| Minneapolis | 14,480 | $78,410+13% | 0.80 |
| Tampa | 14,050 | $63,650−8% | 1.05 |
| Detroit | 13,480 | $67,060−4% | 0.77 |
| San Diego | 11,780 | $76,120+10% | 0.83 |
| Charlotte | 10,770 | $65,170−6% | 0.86 |
| Pittsburgh | 10,440 | $63,260−9% | 1.01 |
| Hartford | 8,670 | $78,740+13% | 1.56 |
| Portland | 7,740 | $76,380+10% | 0.69 |
| Providence | 6,930 | $74,470+7% | 1.05 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 5,170 | $64,550−7% | 0.75 |
| Buffalo | 4,410 | $70,000+1% | 0.89 |
| Albany | 4,050 | $73,360+6% | 0.98 |
New York City (95,180 jobs), Los Angeles (54,340) and Dallas (45,710) have the largest pools. Nashville is the most concentrated market at 1.76, followed by Hartford (1.56) and Austin (1.46). Dallas and Houston both sit at 1.22, but Houston's median ($65,990) is about 5% below the U.S. while Dallas's ($73,070) is above it. San Francisco pays most at $88,560, about 27% above the national median, then Seattle ($81,640) and New York ($80,760). Pittsburgh ($63,260) and Tampa ($63,650) pay least. Portland is the thinnest pool at 0.69. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $69,500. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
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FAQ
In a small company the office manager is often the person who keeps everything outside the core work running: vendors, supplies, the office budget, new-hire setup, basic bookkeeping or payroll inputs, safety records and the front desk team. O*NET's top tasks for the role center on supervising office staff, handling escalations and reviewing payroll and other records. Write down which of these you expect, because candidates differ sharply in finance and HR experience.
Only if the job meets every part of the federal executive exemption: a salary of at least $684 a week, management as the primary duty, regular direction of two or more full-time employees or the equivalent, and real weight in hiring and firing decisions. Many office managers who mainly do admin work do not qualify. State law can be stricter, so confirm with counsel before you set the role as exempt.
An office manager usually runs one office end to end, including people, vendors and budget. A workplace or workplace experience manager focuses on the space and what employees experience in it: amenities, events, room and desk use, often across several sites. BLS has no separate category for workplace managers. If facilities work dominates, IFMA's FMP or CFM credentials are more relevant than admin credentials.
Sometimes, but test for the new job, not the old one. A strong admin may never have supervised anyone, managed a budget or negotiated a vendor contract. Ask for evidence of each, consider a trial period with one direct report, and agree on the change in pay and overtime status in writing. If you also need to backfill the admin seat, a temporary assistant can cover the transition.
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