The primary responsibility of an office manager is to ensure that the office operates smoothly. Some of the ways they do this are notifying staff of new policies and other important information, implementing incentives to enhance productivity, communicating with department heads, overseeing team members production, creating and implementing an office budget, monitoring office supply inventory and ordering more when necessary, hiring and training new staff, and keeping upper management informed of progress.
Sample job description
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for an office manager is $81,400. Total compensation will vary significantly, based primarily on company size, industry, and scope of responsibilities.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $80,950 | $109,500 |
| Los Angeles, California | $91,350 | $123,500 |
| Denver, Colorado | $76,100 | $103,000 |
| Washington, DC | $92,700 | $125,450 |
| Miami, Florida | $75,750 | $102,500 |
| Orlando, Florida | $69,900 | $94,550 |
| Tampa, Florida | $70,550 | $95,500 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $74,050 | $100,150 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $85,100 | $115,150 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $92,000 | $124,500 |
| Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota | $73,350 | $99,225 |
| New York City, New York | $96,850 | $131,050 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $78,900 | $106,700 |
| Dallas, Texas | $76,800 | $103,900 |
| Houston, Texas | $76,100 | $102,950 |
| Seattle, Washington | $86,550 | $119,800 |
| National Average | $69,200 | $93,600 |
Sample interview questions
- What does the role of office manager consist of?
- What strategies do you utilize to remain organized when dealing with tasks and requests from multiple sources?
- What qualities do you think a successful office manager should possess?
- Which management software are you familiar with?
- Have you ever had to deal with a difficult employee or supervisor? Tell me how you handled it.
- Which of all office manager responsibilities is your least favorite? Why?
- What procedures do you use when handling confidential information?
- Do you work well in a team environment?
- How do you handle implementing new policies?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What about 10?
- What are your must-have office management supplies and software?
- Tell me about a workplace situation where you had to put your conflict resolution skills to use.
- What were your responsibilities in your previous position?
- What goals do you set for yourself as an office manager? What steps do you take to ensure the completion of those goals?
- What constitutes an office crisis to you? Have you ever had to deal with one? Tell me about it.
- What tools do you use to keep track of office resources?
- What strategies do you use to ensure the security of office records?
- How do you manage conflicts in your staff?
- Have you ever had a time when you had to make a difficult choice in the workplace? Tell me about it.
