Office Manager Salary Expectations in The United States

By
Luis Congdon
·
July 17, 2019

If you're thinking of becoming an office manager or you've recently started a job in office management, you’re likely asking the question: how much do office managers make?

According to sites like Payscale, Glassdoor, Salary, Craigslist, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter the consensus is between $12 and $20 per hour. That being said, the annual salary of an office manager depends on a variety of factors including their skills, job duties and responsibilities, experience level, and the size of the company they work for. 

In this article, we outline 3 specific levels of office managers, along with their typical duties and salary expectations at each level. 

1. Salary Expectations For Entry-Level Office Managers

The consensus is that new office managers earn between $12 and $20 per hour. In terms of annual salary, this means that most office managers can expect to earn around between $24,000 and $40,000 per year.

An entry-level office manager is likely to have job duties that include: 

  • Answering phones
  • Responding to emails
  • Keeping the office up-to-date 
  • Scheduling
  • Supporting staff on basic office needs 
  • Light reporting

2. Salary Expectations For Mid-Level Office Managers

According to the top resources online and in our conversations with many hiring manager - the consensus ranges from $17 to $40 per hour for office managers with medium level experience. Annually, office managers can expect to earn between $45,000 and $73,000.

A mid-level office manager is likely to have responsibilities that include everything an entry-level office manager does plus:

  • More involved reporting
  • Managing office finances 
  • Reporting and helping with payroll 
  • HR type of duties 

3. Salary Expectations For Experienced Office Managers

The going rate for experienced managers starts at $40 per hour. Experienced office managers can expect to earn anywhere from $50,000 to over $100,000 annually depending on the size of the company they work for. 

Experienced office managers have an immense amount of responsibility and in some cases manage the HR, Payroll, and function as a right-hand for the CEO or COO. Hiring an experienced office manager will require that you’re willing to pay more and thus ideally you have previously hired for this position. 

Salary Expectations & Career Advancement

If you’re about to begin your career as an office manager you’ll want to be clear about the job duties, skills, and responsibilities that you will be expected to take on. By knowing very clearly what you'll be expected to do, you'll be better positioned to negotiate an appropriate starting salary upfront.

Keep in mind that there are many companies that (especially smaller businesses or startups) that expect to grow over time. If you're hired for an entry-level or mid-level office manager position, there may be opportunities for you to receive additional training and career advancement opportunities as the company you work for grows in size. As the scope of your duties and responsibilities increases, so can your salary.

Looking for a way to manage your workplace more efficiently? Check out what Eden’s Workplace Management Platform can do for your office.

Book a Demo