Facilities Manager

Specialized Construction

Keeps a building running well after the construction crew leaves, maintenance, repairs, and the small renovation projects that never really stop.

What is a Facilities Manager?

A Facilities Manager oversees the ongoing maintenance, repair, and small renovation work in an already-built facility, an office building, a hospital, a school, a manufacturing plant. Where every other role on this site focuses on getting a project built, a Facilities Manager picks up where construction leaves off: keeping building systems running, managing vendors and in-house maintenance staff, and planning the capital improvement projects that eventually bring construction crews back in.

What they do

• Oversee preventive maintenance schedules for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety systems
• Manage vendor and contractor relationships for repairs and small renovation projects
• Respond to and prioritize facility issues (leaks, equipment failures, life-safety concerns)
• Plan and budget capital improvement projects (roof replacement, HVAC upgrades, renovations)
• Ensure the building stays compliant with fire, safety, and accessibility codes
• Manage in-house maintenance staff and coordinate their work with outside contractors

A typical day

• 7:30 AMReview overnight maintenance tickets and prioritize anything urgent
• 9:00 AMWalk the building with a mechanical contractor bidding on an HVAC replacement
• 11:00 AMReview quotes for a roof repair against the facility's capital budget
• 1:00 PMCoordinate a fire alarm inspection with the testing vendor and building occupants
• 3:00 PMMeet with in-house maintenance staff to plan next week's preventive maintenance tasks

Skills

Software

Pay expectations

Reviewed May 2025. Facilities Manager is typically reached through promotion or years of experience in a related role, not a day-one starting point, so this chart shows the pay range for people already working as a Facilities Manager rather than entry-level pay. "Lower range" is the lower part of the national wage distribution for this occupation, "typical" sits around the national median, and "top of scale" is the upper part, since pay isn't actually tracked by years on the job. Real pay varies a lot by state, metro area, union status, and employer, so scale these up or down for your market.

Education

Required:

High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred:

Bachelor's degree in facilities management, construction management, or engineering

Helpful:

Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credential

Not necessary:

A specific facilities degree; many facilities managers come up through building maintenance, engineering, or property management rather than starting in this role

Career progression

1. 1.Maintenance Technician or Coordinator
2. 2.Assistant Facilities Manager
3. 3.Facilities Manager
4. 4.Director of Facilities

Who hires for this role