Facilities Managers
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Job Outlook
Overall employment of administrative services and facilities managers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 31,400 openings for administrative services and facilities managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Summary of What they do:
Plan, direct, or coordinate operations and functionalities of facilities and buildings. May include surrounding grounds or multiple facilities of an organization's campus.
What Administrative Services and Facilities Managers Do
Administrative services and facilities managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently.
Duties
Administrative services and facilities managers typically do the following:
- Supervise staff
- Set goals and deadlines for their department or facility
- Recommend changes to policies or procedures in order to improve operations, such as reassessing supplies or recordkeeping
- Monitor facilities to make sure that they remain safe, secure, and well maintained
- Oversee the maintenance and repair of machinery, equipment, and electrical and mechanical systems
- Make sure that facilities meet environmental, health, and security standards and comply with regulations
Administrative services managers oversee one or more office support services for an organization. In a large organization, these workers may specialize in an area such as recordkeeping or mail distribution. In a small organization, they may direct all support services and may be called the business office manager.
Specific tasks for administrative services managers may vary. For example, these workers might be responsible for ensuring that an organization has the supplies and services it needs. Other tasks might include examining energy consumption patterns, technology use, and office equipment and planning for future upgrades.
Records and information managers develop, monitor, and manage an organization’s records. They provide information to chief executives and ensure that employees follow records and information management guidelines. They may direct the operations of onsite or offsite records facilities. These managers also work closely with an organization’s attorneys and its technology and business operations staff. Records and information managers do not handle medical records, which are administered by medical and health services managers.
Facilities managers oversee buildings, grounds, equipment, and supplies. Their responsibilities cover several categories, including operations, maintenance, and planning and managing projects. For example, facilities managers may oversee renovation projects to improve efficiency or to meet regulations and environmental, health, and security standards. In addition, they continually monitor facilities to ensure that the premises are safe, secure, and well maintained.
Facilities managers also direct staff, including grounds maintenance workers, janitors and building cleaners, and general maintenance and repair workers.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Administrative services and facilities managers must be able to review an organization’s procedures for ways to improve efficiency.
Communication skills. Administrative services and facilities managers often work with others. They must be able to convey ideas clearly, both orally and in writing.
Detail oriented. Administrative services and facilities managers must pay attention to details across a range of tasks, such as ensuring that the organization complies with building codes and managing the process of buying equipment.
Leadership skills. In directing workers and coordinating organizational duties, administrative services and facilities managers must be able to motivate employees and handle problems that arise.
Tasks On The Job
- Acquire, distribute and store supplies.
- Conduct classes to teach procedures to staff.
- Dispose of, or oversee the disposal of, surplus or unclaimed property.
- Manage leasing of facility space.
- Monitor the facility to ensure that it remains safe, secure, and well-maintained.
- Oversee construction and renovation projects to improve efficiency and to ensure that facilities meet environmental, health, and security standards, and comply with government regulations.
- Oversee the maintenance and repair of machinery, equipment, and electrical and mechanical systems.
- Participate in architectural and engineering planning and design, including space and installation management.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets for contracts, equipment, and supplies.
- Prepare and review operational reports and schedules to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
- Set goals and deadlines for the department.
Work Environment
Administrative services managers held about 250,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of administrative services managers were as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 12 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 12 |
| Finance and insurance | 9 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 8 |
Facilities managers held about 127,000 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of facilities managers were as follows:
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 11 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 10 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 7 |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 7 |
Administrative services and facilities managers spend much of their day in an office. They may observe workers throughout the building, go outdoors to supervise groundskeeping activities, or visit other facilities they direct.
Work Schedules
Most administrative services and facilities managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Facilities managers often are on call to address problems that arise at all hours.
Getting Started
How to Become an Administrative Services or Facilities Manager
Educational requirements for administrative services and facilities managers vary by organization and the work they do. But these workers typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience.
Education
Administrative services and facilities managers typically need a bachelor’s degree, often in business or a related field. However, some people enter the occupation with a high school diploma.
Work Experience
Administrative services and facilities managers must have related work experience that reflects managerial and leadership abilities. Facilities managers should have experience in business operations, project management, and building maintenance, such as from having worked as a general maintenance and repair worker or a cost estimator. Records and information managers should have administrative or business operations experience involving recordkeeping. Records and information managers in the legal field often must have experience as a paralegal or legal assistant.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although it is not required, professional certification may give candidates an advantage when applying for jobs.
Several professional associations for administrative services and facilities managers offer certifications. Some associations, including the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), offer certification that specializes in facility management. Others offering certification include the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM), for records and information managers, and the ARMA International for those specializing in information governance.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about facilities management and related certifications, visit
International Facility Management Association
For more information about records and information management and related certifications, visit
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of administrative services and facilities managers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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|
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|
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|
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