Clear a backlog of requests
Go through waiting requests with the office team, then rework the schedule to clear the pile-up.
Career profile
Administrative Services Manager
Administrative services managers run the office support work their coworkers depend on.
When requests keep stalling, the fix falls to you: change the process, coordinate the staff, then make sure it actually works.
A day in the life
Price out a supply order
Compare the supplier's quote against the budget before you place the order, so the purchase fits.
Fix a confusing request form
If requests keep arriving incomplete, rewrite the confusing form, then train staff on what changed.
Make everyone file the same way
Settle on one filing method for the shared digital records so people can find documents more easily.
Quick facts
Degree + experience
United States · 2025
$114,130/year
United States · May 2025
5.2% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Degree + experienceA bachelor's degree and related work experience are typical; requirements vary.
Pay
$114,130/yearNational median; about $54.87 an hour.
Outlook
5.2% projected growthAbout 22,000 openings a year, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice missing details.
- You enjoy organizing other people's work.
- You can explain a procedure patiently.
Things to weigh
- Frequent conversations can break up concentrated work.
- You answer for staff results and handle competing deadlines.
Where AI may help
Spreadsheets calculate costs; document software helps organize files.
What people still lead
You set priorities and resolve disagreements.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine coordination can be automated remains uncertain.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use these figures to compare jobs, not predict your first offer.
National midpoint
The median was $114,130 a year, or $54.87 an hour.
The spread
The lowest 10% earned below $67,100; the highest 10% exceeded $207,720. These are not entry and senior pay scales.
Workplace differences
Annual medians were $131,650 in finance and insurance, $107,030 in educational services, and $101,850 in healthcare and social assistance.
Job prospects
Employment is projected to grow 5.2% during 2025–2035, with about 22,000 openings annually. Openings include workers leaving the occupation, not just newly created jobs.
Getting started
Combine college with office experience
- What the route involves
- Study business or a related field and build leadership experience at work.
- What it can lead to
- This matches typical preparation for management openings.
Build from related work
- What the route involves
- Develop administrative experience and demonstrate that you can lead people.
- What it can lead to
- Some employers accept candidates with a high school diploma.
- What to check
- Experience does not replace a degree at every employer.
This is generally a role you reach after gaining related experience.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the department's schedules and budget.
Improve a workflow
Change a procedure and train staff to use it.
Specialize
Move into records and information management.
Where you can work
A small organization's office
You may oversee all support services, switching between supplies, staff, and records.
- Indoors
- Office
A large organization's records operation
You can specialize, working with attorneys and technology staff on how records are managed.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Invent five supply requests for a school club. Give each a cost and deadline, then make a spreadsheet showing who handles it and when. Cut the budget and revise your plan. Notice whether you enjoy explaining the tradeoffs as much as organizing the sheet.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Administrative Services Managers — 11-3012.00. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Administrative Services and Facilities Managers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.