What Does a Box Office Manager Do?
If tickets are involved, a box office manager usually is too. The work covers ticket sales, seating, refunds and the staff who handle them for concerts, games and shows, from the first on-sale date to the last walk-up buyer. Most managers report to a venue or events director.
Also known as: Ticket Office Manager, Ticket Office Assistant Manager
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Camp and Recreation Manager, Camp Director, Events and Competitions Director, Events Manager, Experiences Manager, Golf Course Manager, Park Manager, Recreation Director.
Box Office Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a box office manager include:
- Set up events in the ticketing system, building seat maps, price levels and on-sale dates.
- Supervise ticket sellers and part-time staff, scheduling shifts around shows and games.
- Balance nightly sales, reconcile cash and card receipts, and prepare settlement reports.
- Manage season tickets, subscriptions and group orders, including renewals and seat changes.
- Resolve customer problems with refunds, exchanges, lost tickets and accessible seating requests.
- Coordinate with promoters and event managers on holds, comps and house seats.
- Enforce policies on ticket limits, fraud checks and resale to protect fans.
- Train staff on the ticketing system, customer service and emergency procedures.
- Report sales trends to marketing so they can adjust promotions before events.
- Open the box office on event nights and handle will-call and walk-up sales.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a box office manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Ticketing systems such as Tessitura, AudienceView or Ticketmaster
- Cash handling and nightly settlement
- Staff scheduling and supervision
- Customer service under pressure
- Excel reporting
- Seat map and pricing setup
- Knowledge of accessible seating rules
- Evening and weekend availability
Education and Training
Venues hiring a box office manager favor candidates who already know a ticketing system such as Tessitura, AudienceView or Ticketmaster. Most managers work their way up from ticket seller to assistant manager, and a few arrive from arts administration or hospitality. A bachelor's degree is common.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $61,060 - $104,770 per year, with a median of $79,520.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling.
According to BLS, employment of entertainment and recreation managers, the group box office managers belong to, is projected to grow about 6 percent in the decade ending in 2035. That works out to roughly 5,100 openings a year across the group. Box office jobs follow the event calendar.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling.
Box Office Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $46,270 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $61,060 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $79,520 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $104,770 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $139,110 |
Highest-Paying States for Box Office Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($113,930), Minnesota ($107,660), New York ($98,390), Colorado ($97,000), Washington ($96,790). Pay is lowest in Ohio ($58,440), Arkansas ($49,640), West Virginia ($47,310).
Median pay in all 47 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,540 |
| Alaska | $70,700 |
| Arizona | $76,550 |
| Arkansas | $49,640 |
| California | $79,550 |
| Colorado | $97,000 |
| Connecticut | $78,010 |
| District of Columbia | $113,930 |
| Florida | $83,520 |
| Georgia | $83,470 |
| Hawaii | $81,160 |
| Idaho | $95,020 |
| Illinois | $77,310 |
| Indiana | $62,760 |
| Iowa | $68,320 |
| Kansas | $69,990 |
| Kentucky | $80,130 |
| Louisiana | $62,390 |
| Maine | $82,780 |
| Maryland | $81,220 |
| Massachusetts | $89,450 |
| Michigan | $65,890 |
| Minnesota | $107,660 |
| Mississippi | $67,670 |
| Missouri | $83,620 |
| Nebraska | $63,270 |
| Nevada | $82,370 |
| New Hampshire | $80,090 |
| New Jersey | $89,590 |
| New York | $98,390 |
| North Carolina | $77,990 |
| Ohio | $58,440 |
| Oklahoma | $78,420 |
| Oregon | $78,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,990 |
| Rhode Island | $88,750 |
| South Carolina | $79,110 |
| South Dakota | $76,000 |
| Tennessee | $70,530 |
| Texas | $78,500 |
| Utah | $79,400 |
| Vermont | $92,320 |
| Virginia | $74,800 |
| Washington | $96,790 |
| West Virginia | $47,310 |
| Wisconsin | $77,140 |
| Wyoming | $88,790 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 78% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 50% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 52% |
| Some college | 23% |
| Associate's degree | 17% |
| Master's degree | 7% |
Tools and Software Box Office Managers Use
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, English Language, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 11-9072.00 (Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.