What is the salary and career path for a records manager?
Records managers are reported under Administrative Services Managers (SOC 11-3012), a broad BLS match — there is no dedicated records-management code. The OEWS May 2025 median for that code is $114,130 a year ($54.87 an hour), spanning from $67,100 at the 10th percentile to $207,720 at the 90th, with records and information-governance leaders in regulated industries in the upper half. BLS projects the code to grow 4.6% over 2024–2034, about average, with roughly 23,200 openings a year. The role usually needs a bachelor's degree, and records-specific credentials — the CRM or ARMA's IGP — are what distinguish it from general administrative management.
- Records Managers are reported under SOC 11-3012 with a $114,130 median (BLS OEWS May 2025); the top 10% clear $207,720.
- The role governs information life cycles — retention, classification, compliance and e-discovery — and typically needs a bachelor's degree.
- BLS projects the code to grow 4.6% through 2034, about average, with roughly 23,200 openings a year.
- Records-specific credentials — the CRM or ARMA's IGP — distinguish the role from general administrative management and lift pay.
Career Path
How do you become a records manager?
Records analyst / coordinator
Classifying records and maintaining retention schedules sits near the $67,100 10th percentile of the code.
Records Manager
Owning retention, compliance and the records program earns the $114,130 median for SOC 11-3012.
Senior records / information-governance manager
Leading information governance across a large organization reaches the $157,420 75th percentile.
Director of records / information governance
Setting enterprise records and IG strategy sits at the $207,720 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays records managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3012. National median: $114,130. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does records manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles records managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: records managers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +4.6% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly records managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3012 (records managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do records managers need?
The Institute of Certified Records Managers' benchmark credential for the profession. See all state licences →
ARMA International's credential for enterprise information-governance leadership.
Typical minimum; information management, library science or business are common majors.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do records managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-3012
Salary Levers
How do records managers earn above the $114,130 BLS median?
Own compliance and retention programs
Running retention schedules and regulatory compliance moves pay from the $67,100 floor toward the $114,130 median.
Lead information governance enterprise-wide
Owning IG across a large, regulated organization pushes pay toward the $157,420 75th percentile.
Advance to director of information governance
Setting enterprise records and IG strategy reaches the $207,720 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a records manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3012. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Records Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
Records Manager career research journey
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