What Does a Surplus Property Manager Do?
Departments that replace desks, computers and lab equipment have to send the old ones somewhere, and the landfill should be the last choice. At universities and public agencies, the surplus property manager takes them in, with a team that grades each item, passes usable pieces to other departments, sells the rest at auction or in a surplus store and recycles what is left.
Also known as: Surplus Property and Recycling Manager
Surplus Property Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a surplus property manager include:
- Schedule pickups of unwanted furniture, computers and equipment from campus departments.
- Inspect and grade incoming items, deciding whether to reuse, sell, recycle or scrap them.
- Remove items from the asset inventory, keeping disposal records that satisfy auditors.
- Sell surplus through public auctions, online auction sites and a retail store.
- Transfer usable items to other departments before offering them to the public.
- Arrange certified data wiping or drive destruction before computers leave campus.
- Coordinate recycling of electronics, metal, batteries and other regulated waste with licensed vendors.
- Supervise warehouse staff and drivers, and plan truck routes and safe loading.
- Follow state rules on selling public property, including approvals and sale proceeds.
- Report sales income, recycling totals and landfill savings to administrators.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a surplus property manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Asset and inventory tracking systems
- Online auction platforms such as GovDeals
- State surplus property and records rules
- Electronics recycling and data security practices
- Warehouse and forklift safety
- Pricing used equipment
- Supervising drivers and warehouse staff
- Customer service for public buyers
Education and Training
Driving a surplus truck or running a recycling program has been the first job for some surplus managers, while many more came up through purchasing, warehouse or asset management work. BLS files the job with administrative services managers, for whom a bachelor's degree is the norm. A recycling certificate is worth adding for anyone who handles electronics, batteries and other regulated waste.
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.
BLS groups surplus property managers with administrative services managers, whose employment is projected to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 22,000 openings a year. Surplus jobs are a small, specialized slice of that. Demand often is tied to campus sustainability goals, but managers always will be needed as departments replace computers and furniture and as campuses try to send less to landfill.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Administrative services managers.