Office Manager
Also advertised as: Administration Manager, Business Support Manager, Facilities and Office Manager, Office Coordinator, Office Manager, Practice Manager
Keeps a workplace running: facilities, suppliers, budgets, records and the admin team.
What the job involves
Office managers make an organisation function behind the scenes. You look after the building and suppliers, manage the admin team, keep records and compliance in order, and are usually the person everyone asks when something needs sorting.
Typical responsibilities
- Manage suppliers, contracts and office budgets
- Supervise administrators and reception
- Keep records, policies and compliance up to date
- Coordinate facilities, health and safety and equipment
- Support HR and finance with day-to-day admin
Common employers
- Solicitors and accountants
- Schools and colleges
- GP practices
- Charities
- Small and medium businesses
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£25,000 – £30,000 a year
With experience
£32,000 – £42,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours, standard office hours
Working environment
Office based
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
- Organisation
- Budget handling
- Supplier management
- Confidentiality
- Systems and record keeping
Transferable skills you may already have
- Diary management
- Handling sensitive information
- Ordering and stock control
Requirements employers ask for
- Organisation
- Budget handling
- Supplier management
- Confidentiality
- Systems and record keeping
- No formal qualification required
Useful but not essential
- Diary management
- Handling sensitive information
- Ordering and stock control
- Level 3 Business Administrator
- Level 4 Facilities Management
Helpful qualifications
- Level 3 Business Administrator
- Level 4 Facilities Management
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
- Business Administrator (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business administration
Where this career can lead
next
Operations Manager
next
HR Manager
next
Facilities Manager
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Broad, varied work
- Available in every sector
- Good for organised all-rounders
What people find hard
- Rarely remote
- Can absorb everyone else's problems
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a office 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 office manager earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £25,000 to £30,000 a year, rising towards £42,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Diary management, Handling sensitive information, Ordering and stock control.
Related careers
Executive Assistant
Supports a senior leader with diary, travel, papers, briefings and confidential work.
Administrator
Handles the records, correspondence, bookings and systems that keep a team working.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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