How To Become A Records Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a records manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A records manager handles an organization's records from their creation, preservation, and disposal.

The main tasks include the collection and management of information received from various entities in both public and private sectors, development and verification of existing records management systems, and supervision of the transition from paper to electronic record-keeping.

The key sectors that seek and hire a records manager usually belong to the nuclear industry, healthcare and finance, and other companies that need data storage and classification for marketing or consumer research purposes.

A bachelor's degree is usually a requirement to get this job. However, there are two undergraduate degrees in information management and record management that are accredited by the Archives & Records Association (ARA) and CILIP, which may open another way to grab the work opportunity. Employers may also ask for a postgraduate qualification in a records, archive, or information management specialization.

ScoreRecords ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,265

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.8

Growth Rate 11%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.25%

Asian 8.06%

Black or African American 10.49%

Hispanic or Latino 16.93%

Unknown 4.19%

White 59.08%

Gender

female 56.95%

male 43.05%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress Level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.6

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a records manager

Explore records manager education requirements

Most common records manager degrees

Bachelor's

53.2 %

Associate

21.5 %

Master's

10.7 %

Start to develop specific records manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Office Equipment	16.37%
Access Database	12.16%
SharePoint	10.43%
DOD	7.09%
Nara	5.16%

Complete relevant records manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New records managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a records manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real records manager resumes.

Research records manager duties and responsibilities

Implement and manage projects with complex HL7 interfaces between multiple clinical systems including writing project plans.
Establish compliant records training program to meet objectives in standards such as HIPAA, FOIA.
Develop and execute recordkeeping and docketing system to track activities of multi-district class action litigation, and introduce records retention policies/procedures.
Ensure record privacy, confidentiality, and HIPAA compliance.

Prepare your records manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your records manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a records manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Records Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Records Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Records Manager resume.

Apply for records manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a records manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do records managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Records Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Cons

Being taken over by computers, job is going away office staff is becoming smaller and smaller or out sourced to 3rd party companies.