What Does a Media Services Manager Do?
Most days in a campus media office bring routine projector fixes, microphone swaps and equipment loans. The busiest stretch is the start of each term, when every lecture hall needs working audio, video and lecture capture at once. The media services manager plans for both, leading the technicians, budget and equipment behind a college's classroom and event technology.
Also known as: Media Technician Supervisor
Media Services Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a media services manager include:
- Lead media technicians and student workers who support classrooms, lecture halls and campus events.
- Plan equipment upgrades for projectors, displays, microphones and lecture capture across teaching spaces.
- Prepare the department budget and justify replacement cycles for aging audio and video equipment.
- Set service standards for help calls, response times and event support requests.
- Manage the equipment loan pool; recover late items and repair damaged gear.
- Oversee lecture capture and live streaming systems such as Panopto or Zoom for faculty.
- Coordinate AV design for new and renovated rooms with architects, IT and facilities staff.
- Negotiate vendor contracts for equipment purchases, installation work and maintenance agreements.
- Schedule staff for evening lectures, graduation ceremonies and weekend events.
- Train faculty on room controls and recording tools at the start of each term.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a media services manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- AVIXA CTS certification
- Classroom AV systems and control panels
- Lecture capture platforms such as Panopto
- Budgeting and equipment lifecycle planning
- Supervising technicians and student staff
- Vendor and contract management
- Clear, patient help for nontechnical users
- Bachelor's degree in media, IT or a related field
Education and Training
AVIXA's Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credential and a bachelor's degree give candidates an edge for this post. Colleges look for people who have already run classroom technology, broadcast equipment or IT support. Most also want proof that you have supervised technicians or student staff.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Managers, All Other), the middle half of earners made $102,880 to $186,300 a year, and the median was $141,900.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Managers, All Other.
BLS groups this job with managers not listed elsewhere, a broad group it projects to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 100,900 openings a year. Campus media budgets often are tied to enrollment and IT spending, but media managers will be needed as more courses are recorded and more events stream online. Pay figures on this page reflect that whole mixed group, so campus pay may differ.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Managers, all other.