What Does a Records Manager Do?
Requests for public documents keep arriving at government agencies and public universities, and state law gives each one a deadline. Behind every answer is a records manager, who decides what the organization keeps and for how long, runs the document management system and reviews each file for confidential details before it goes out.
Also known as: Open Records Manager
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Director, Administrative Manager, Administrative Officer, Administrator, Business Administrator, Business Manager.
Records Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a records manager include:
- Write and update the records retention schedule with legal counsel and department heads.
- Respond to open records or public information requests within the deadlines set by state law.
- Review requested documents for exempt or confidential information before release, with legal staff.
- Run the document management system and set rules for naming, access and retention.
- Train staff on what to keep, what to destroy and how to store email and electronic files.
- Issue and lift legal holds when litigation or audits begin and end.
- Audit department recordkeeping and report compliance gaps to senior leadership.
- Manage off-site storage contracts, scanning projects and certified destruction vendors.
- Supervise records coordinators and clerks, and set their priorities and training.
- Plan the move from paper files to electronic records with IT and department heads.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a records manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Records retention and state public records laws
- Electronic document and email management systems
- Certified Records Manager (CRM) credential, valued by many employers
- Legal holds and e-discovery basics
- Judgement on what can be released and what must be withheld
- Leading a small records team
- Clear policy writing and training
- Bachelor's degree in information management, business or a related field
Education and Training
Before running a records program, most people spend time as records coordinators or analysts, though some come across from legal, archives or IT work. Many employers require a bachelor's degree, and BLS lists one plus under five years of related work as typical for administrative services managers. At the senior end, the Certified Records Manager credential counts for a lot.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $86,460 - $157,420 per year, with a median of $114,130.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Administrative Services Managers.
According to BLS, employment of administrative services managers, the wider group that includes records managers, is projected to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035. BLS also expects roughly 22,000 openings a year across that group. Demand looks steady given that email, lawsuits and public records laws keep adding to what organizations must store and produce.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Administrative services managers.
Records Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $67,100 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $86,460 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $114,130 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $157,420 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $207,720 |
Highest-Paying States for Records Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Colorado ($157,000), New Jersey ($144,460), New York ($142,280), Delaware ($139,910), Minnesota ($137,290). Pay is lowest in Idaho ($92,880), West Virginia ($84,820), Arkansas ($84,480).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $114,550 |
| Alaska | $106,400 |
| Arizona | $101,160 |
| Arkansas | $84,480 |
| California | $108,890 |
| Colorado | $157,000 |
| Connecticut | $120,200 |
| Delaware | $139,910 |
| District of Columbia | $128,610 |
| Florida | $94,850 |
| Georgia | $108,250 |
| Hawaii | $110,840 |
| Idaho | $92,880 |
| Illinois | $106,860 |
| Indiana | $112,990 |
| Iowa | $116,920 |
| Kansas | $118,570 |
| Louisiana | $99,210 |
| Maine | $105,380 |
| Maryland | $115,550 |
| Massachusetts | $116,710 |
| Michigan | $108,210 |
| Minnesota | $137,290 |
| Mississippi | $96,030 |
| Missouri | $96,920 |
| Montana | $129,670 |
| Nebraska | $105,720 |
| Nevada | $95,780 |
| New Hampshire | $125,390 |
| New Jersey | $144,460 |
| New Mexico | $104,790 |
| New York | $142,280 |
| North Carolina | $105,630 |
| North Dakota | $94,320 |
| Ohio | $101,500 |
| Oklahoma | $104,670 |
| Oregon | $113,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $105,640 |
| Rhode Island | $128,980 |
| South Carolina | $124,320 |
| South Dakota | $106,410 |
| Tennessee | $127,410 |
| Texas | $114,190 |
| Utah | $123,700 |
| Vermont | $97,040 |
| Virginia | $130,850 |
| Washington | $130,630 |
| West Virginia | $84,820 |
| Wisconsin | $108,450 |
| Wyoming | $120,510 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as administrative services managers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% use email every day
- 96% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 82% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 80% are on the phone every day
- 74% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 64% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 54% have a lot of freedom to make decisions
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 34% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24% |
| Some college | 13% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 13% |
Tools and Software Records Managers Use
Tools and equipment
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: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Time Management, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium 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 11-3012.00 (Administrative Services Managers). 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.