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Office manager

Alternative titles for this job include

Office managers oversee the day-to-day operations in an office or department.

Average salary (a year)

£25,000 Starter

to

£40,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 42

You could work

between 8am and 6pm on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • business management
  • human resource management
  • public administration

Once you've completed your studies, you could apply for a trainee manager position, for example through a company's graduate training scheme.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

College

You could take a course at college that would teach you some of the skills and knowledge needed to apply for an assistant office manager position.

Courses include;

  • business studies
  • business administration
  • T Level in Management and Administration

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to an organisation for a place on a Business Administrator, or Team Leader, Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

These typically take between 1 and 2 years to complete. They combine workplace learning and time spent with a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could work as an office assistant or team supervisor in a company, then move on to become a manager through work-based training and promotion.

More Information

Career tips

Employers will expect you to be well organised, have excellent communication skills and a good working knowledge of the main business software packages.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Administrative Management for professional development and training opportunities.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • business management skills
  • administration skills
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As an office manager, you could:

  • organise and co-ordinate day-to-day office operations
  • develop quality control processes
  • carry out staff appraisals and monitor performance
  • deal with disciplinary issues
  • prepare reports for the senior management team
  • manage an office budget and expenses
  • support staff with career development
  • help to recruit and train new staff
  • work closely with other departments, like finance and human resources

Working environment

You could work in an office.

You may need to wear smart business clothes.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You could take on more responsibility for managing projects, or provide cover for senior management duties.

With experience and further training, you could become a personal assistant or executive officer.

You could also specialise in legal, financial, medical or educational office management.

Other career options include moving into buying and procurement, business development and operations management.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Business Administration Apprenticeship

  • Wage: £14,722.50 a year Annually
  • Location: HA8 6LE

Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship

  • Wage: £13,741 a year Annually
  • Location: HARROW

Courses In England

T Level in Management and Administration

  • Provider: NCG
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: London

T Level in Management and Administration

  • Provider: CENTRAL TRAINING ACADEMY LIMITED
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Southend on Sea

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