Office manager job description template

What a office manager does

In a small company, the office manager often does the work of three departments: facilities, HR administration, and bookkeeping support. In a larger one, the role leads a team of administrative staff. That range is why office manager postings attract such a mixed applicant pool. Be specific about whether the job supervises people, how much HR and finance work is included, and how many locations it covers.

Office manager job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Office manager

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: [Exempt or nonexempt]
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per year]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're looking for an office manager to keep our workplace running smoothly, oversee administrative operations, and support our people, vendors, and budget.

What you'll do
- Oversee daily office operations, facilities, and vendor relationships.
- Supervise administrative staff, including hiring, scheduling, and training.
- Manage the office budget, supplies, and equipment purchases.
- Coordinate new hire onboarding logistics and help maintain employee records.
- Support payroll, benefits enrollment, and HR paperwork with [HR or finance].
- Maintain office policies, safety procedures, and emergency plans.
- Plan company events and team meetings.
- Serve as the main contact for the landlord, IT vendor, and building services.

What you'll need
- Three or more years of office administration experience, including one or more years supervising staff.
- Strong organization and budgeting skills.
- Experience with [HRIS, payroll, and accounting tools].
- Excellent communication with employees and vendors.

Nice to have
- Bachelor's degree in business or a related field.
- Experience in a growing [industry] company.
- Basic HR knowledge, such as I-9 and new hire paperwork.

Skills
Operations management, Vendor negotiation, Budgeting, People leadership, Confidentiality, Problem solving.

Physical demands and work environment
Office setting with occasional lifting up to 30 pounds and some visits to other locations.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per year], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Say whether the role supervises staff, and how many.
• List any HR or payroll duties clearly.
• State how many offices or locations are covered.
• Describe the company size and growth stage.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a office manager

Half of US first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers earned more than $33.41 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Depends on duties. Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

An office manager may be exempt under the executive exemption if they manage the office as a department, direct two or more full-time employees, and have input on hiring and firing, or under the administrative exemption if the role involves significant independent judgment. A single-person office manager whose work is mostly clerical is often nonexempt. Office managers who handle I-9 forms should be trained on E-Verify and anti-discrimination rules.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Tell me about a vendor contract you renegotiated.
2. How do you prioritize when facilities, HR, and finance all need something today?
3. How would you build an office budget from scratch?
4. Tell me about a time you handled a sensitive employee issue.

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions