Office Manager salary in Birmingham, AL
Birmingham is the most expensive place in Alabama to hire an office manager. The median is $64,170 a year1, 6.3% above the Alabama statewide median of $60,360 and 7.7% below the US median of $69,500. Among US areas it comes in at #208 of 519. With about 5,820 office managers, 29% of the Alabama total, no area in Alabama employs more.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Birmingham, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Birmingham against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $45,070 | $64,170 | $100,160 | |
| Alabama | $39,470 | $60,360 | $93,560 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Birmingham earns $50,750–$80,230. The top tenth earns $100,160 or more, 2.2 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $29,480 wide, wider than in Alabama as a whole ($28,810) and the US ($29,140), so what a office manager earns in Birmingham depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an office manager here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,070 | $3,756 | $21.67 | $58,155 |
| 25th percentile | $50,750 | $4,229 | $24.40 | $65,484 |
| Median | $64,170 | $5,348 | $30.85 | $82,800 |
| 75th percentile | $80,230 | $6,686 | $38.57 | $103,523 |
| 90th percentile | $100,160 | $8,347 | $48.15 | $129,239 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,060 a year in pay and about $20,723 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,420 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $69,500 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Birmingham, and the Alabama statewide median of $60,360 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Birmingham
At the $64,170 median, a local hire costs about $82,800 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,630 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for office managers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Birmingham
Of the 16 roles we track in Birmingham, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($67,880) and marketing specialists ($62,190). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,820.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +18.9% | 900 | |
| Recruiter | +5.8% | 3,060 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 5,820 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.1% | 2,660 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.4% | 3,770 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #8 of the 16 roles we track in Birmingham (-7.7%), between data entry specialists (-7.3%) and customer support specialists (-9.5%). The typical role here is at -8.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 10.2% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Birmingham, 10.0% across Alabama and 9.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $52,750 in the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area to $64,170 in Birmingham, a gap of $11,420 a year. No other area in Alabama has as many office managers, and all 15 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Birmingham | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | this area | 5,820 | |
| Huntsville, AL | -1.9% | 2,030 | |
| Decatur, AL | -5.4% | 510 | |
| Montgomery, AL | -6.3% | 1,690 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | -6.7% | 970 | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | -7.6% | 660 | |
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -8.0% | 590 |
Birmingham against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Birmingham is #50 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Alabama, York-Hanover and Salisbury pay just above Birmingham and Lebanon and Chattanooga just below. All four are within $200 a year of the median in Birmingham. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Birmingham | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +24.3% | 5,490 | jobs | |
| Salisbury, MD | +0.3% | 730 | pay | |
| York-Hanover, PA | +0.1% | 1,560 | pay | |
| Birmingham, AL | this area | 5,820 | ||
| Lebanon, PA | +0.0% | 430 | pay | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.0% | 3,940 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | -0.9% | 6,170 | jobs | |
| Columbia, SC | -3.0% | 6,120 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Birmingham, AL?
About $82,800 a year at the median, or $6,900 a month: $64,170 in pay plus about $18,630 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Birmingham?
The median was $64,170 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,070, the 90th $100,160, and the middle half earned $50,750 to $80,230.
Is Birmingham the most expensive area in Alabama for office managers?
Yes. Its median of $64,170 is the highest of 16 areas in Alabama. Huntsville comes next at $62,950.
How many office managers work in Birmingham?
BLS counts about 5,820 in the May 2025 survey. That is 29% of the Alabama total of 20,140. No other area in Alabama has as many.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Birmingham?
Yes: $1,980 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,170 and $62,190.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.