Salary Expectation For An Office Manager In Southern Illinois

After graduating from college in December, I will be working at an oil company in Southern Illinois where I hope to become the office manager. I have researched similar positions in the area to better negotiate my desired salary. The following information includes my research and conclusions.

Field

"Few roles are as integral to an office as that of the office manager" (West, 2006). The company that I work for is relatively young and shares a building with its sister company, which already has an office manager. Because I have worked with her extensively and assisted her in nearly all aspects of the job, I am very prepared to assume the position of office manager with this company. I will not have the amount of pay or responsibilities of office managers in large firms, but I will be able to remain close to my hometown and work in an environment I enjoy.

Geographic Region

The area in which I live in Southern Illinois is an economically-depressed area. The median per capita income in 1999 dollars (the most recent data available) was $14,673, well below the national average of $21,587 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). It does have significant oil production, however, which is vital to my career.

Company Industry

The company which I will be working for focuses primarily on the drilling of oil and natural gas wells in the Illinois Basin (IL, IN, KY). There has been a booming growth in our area the past few years due to the increase in crude oil prices. The industry is stabilizing a little now as prices level off, but there is still a large demand for our services. We are currently in the process of putting another rig in service to meet the excessive demand.

It is also important to note that my employer is an independent company. Although we do not have the vast capital of firms such as Schlumberger, we are able to adapt quickly to industry changes and develop a personal relationship with our clients. It is a very competitive industry, but we are able to maintain a competitive edge by remaining a family-owned company and offering the best services at reasonable cost.

Salary Range

The salary range for an office manager varies greatly, especially in my chosen industry. The highest figure I found for a local average was on Yahoo's HotJobs.com, which listed an annual salary of $50,232, which is immensely higher than expected (n.d.). SalaryExpert had the lowest local average at $28,312 annually, but was more in line with my expectations (2006). Salary.com listed a local salary range of $35,441-$68,657 annually (n.d.). Payscale did not offer salary information for my area, but did list a national average annual salary of $40,269.

The median hourly rate for an office manager in Illinois, according to Payscale, is $15/hour (2006). I found that to be the most helpful data, because I will be an hourly worker for the first few (full-time) years. During discussions with my boss, it was also discussed that I will earn about $15 per hour, or about $30,000 per year, as my starting salary. For my area and industry, I feel that is a reasonable starting salary if I am guaranteed a performance review with a possible raise within one year.

Specific Abilities

According to an article on Monster.com, there are several critical skills needed to be a successful office manager. These skills include:

* Top-notch computer skills

* Excellent