Facilities Manager
Also advertised as: Building Manager, Estates Officer, Facilities Coordinator, Facilities Manager, Facilities Officer, Hard Services Manager
Keeps buildings safe, compliant and working: maintenance, contracts, cleaning and security.
What the job involves
Facilities managers make sure premises support the people using them. You manage planned and reactive maintenance, hold contractors to their service levels, run statutory compliance and control the facilities budget. Trades and site experience count for a lot here.
Typical responsibilities
- Manage planned and reactive maintenance
- Hold contractors to service level agreements
- Maintain statutory compliance records
- Control facilities budgets
- Support health, safety and fire management
Common employers
- Facilities providers
- NHS estates
- Universities
- Corporate landlords
- Councils
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £34,000 a year
With experience
£40,000 – £55,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 to 40 hours plus on-call cover
Working environment
Across buildings and sites
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Contract management
- Building compliance
- Health and safety
- Budgeting
- Supplier negotiation
Transferable skills you may already have
- Trades knowledge
- Coordinating contractors
- Site supervision
Requirements employers ask for
- Contract management
- Building compliance
- Health and safety
- Budgeting
- Supplier negotiation
- No formal qualification required
Useful but not essential
- Trades knowledge
- Coordinating contractors
- Site supervision
- IWFM Level 3 or 4
- NEBOSH General Certificate
Helpful qualifications
- IWFM Level 3 or 4
- NEBOSH General Certificate
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Facilities Manager (Level 4)
- Facilities Services Operative (Level 2)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Facilities management
- Related subject: Building services
- Related subject: Business
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Facilities Manager
next
Estates Manager
next
Head of Facilities
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Strong route up from trades
- Every large building needs one
- Practical and varied
What people find hard
- On-call for emergencies
- Compliance paperwork is heavy
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a facilities manager?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a facilities manager earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £34,000 a year, rising towards £55,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Trades knowledge, Coordinating contractors, Site supervision.
Related careers
Estate Agent
Values, markets and sells homes, guiding buyers and sellers through the process.
Property Manager
Looks after rented properties: tenancies, repairs, compliance and landlord relationships.
Security Officer
Protects people and property through patrols, monitoring and incident response.
Cleaning Supervisor
Leads a cleaning team, checks standards and manages supplies and rotas.
Property Manager
Manages the day-to-day running of commercial or residential buildings on behalf of owners.
Building Surveyor
Inspects buildings to assess their condition, diagnose defects and oversee repair projects.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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