When Should an Agency Hire an Account Manager? A Practical Guide for Growing Teams
Hiring an Account Manager can be a game-changing move for an agency, or an expensive mistake if done at the wrong time.
If you’re asking yourself “Is it time to hire an Account Manager?” the real answer isn’t based on revenue alone. It comes down to clarity, capacity, and where your agency is headed next.
Let’s break it down.
The Real Question Isn’t “When”… It’s “Why”
Most agency owners don’t wake up one day with spare time and decide to hire an Account Manager.
They ask because:
Client emails never stop
They’re stuck in meetings all day
Client experience feels reactive, not proactive
Growth feels capped because they are the bottleneck
But here’s the catch: hiring an Account Manager won’t fix everything.
If you’re trying to fill multiple gaps with one role (strategy, project management, admin, sales), you’re setting that hire (and your agency) up to fail.
Before hiring, get clear on what’s actually keeping you in the day-to-day.
Signs You Might Be Ready for an Account Manager
An Account Manager is the right hire when client relationships and communication are the biggest drain on your time.
That often looks like:
You’re the main point of contact for most clients
Clients need frequent updates, check-ins, and reassurance
You feel constant pressure to “stay on top” of relationships
Client onboarding takes more time than you can give it
Another key signal? Growth is starting to hurt.
If you hesitate to sign new clients because you don’t have the bandwidth to manage them well, you’re already late.
Signs It’s Not Time Yet
Sometimes, an Account Manager isn’t the answer, at least not yet.
You may need a different role first if:
You’re still deeply involved in strategy and enjoy it
Your biggest issue is internal delivery, not client communication
Your inbox is full, but most messages are operational or admin-related
In these cases, a Project Manager, Strategist, or Executive Assistant may create more immediate relief.
The goal isn’t to hire faster.
It’s to hire smarter.
Onboarding Volume Matters More Than Client Count
One of the biggest indicators that it’s time to hire an Account Manager is client onboarding volume.
New clients require:
More communication
More education
More expectation-setting
More relationship-building
If you’re onboarding multiple clients, or projecting growth in the next few months, that’s the moment to plan ahead.
Waiting until you’re overwhelmed means client experience will suffer before help arrives.
How Many Clients Can One Account Manager Handle?
There’s no universal number. It depends on:
Service complexity
Client expectations
Meeting cadence
Team structure and processes
One Account Manager might manage:
A single high-touch, high-retainer client
Or dozens of low-touch, maintenance-style accounts
What matters most is capacity to be proactive, not just responsive.
An overworked Account Manager leads to dropped balls, unhappy clients, and churn.
The Bottom Line
Hiring an Account Manager is about protecting growth, not reacting to chaos.
If client communication is slowing you down, limiting your ability to scale, or weighing on you daily, it’s time to explore support.
But if you’re unclear on what you want to hand off, pause first.
Clarity comes before capacity, and the right hire at the right time changes everything.