Office Manager salary in Bowling Green, KY
Hiring an office manager costs less in Bowling Green than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $61,250 a year1: 3.1% below the Kentucky statewide median of $63,180 and 11.9% below the US median of $69,500. Nationally it ranks #315 of 519 areas. About 650 office managers work here, 3% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Bowling Green, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bowling Green against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | $40,700 | $61,250 | $94,990 | |
| Kentucky | $41,350 | $63,180 | $99,330 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Bowling Green earns $48,270–$76,940. The top tenth earns $94,990 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $28,670 wide, against $31,910 across Kentucky and $29,140 nationally: employers in Bowling Green pay within a narrower band.
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 | $40,700 | $3,392 | $19.57 | $52,516 |
| 25th percentile | $48,270 | $4,022 | $23.21 | $62,284 |
| Median | $61,250 | $5,104 | $29.45 | $79,032 |
| 75th percentile | $76,940 | $6,412 | $36.99 | $99,277 |
| 90th percentile | $94,990 | $7,916 | $45.67 | $122,568 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,980 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $15,690, or about $20,245 once benefits are added. 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 Bowling Green, and the Kentucky statewide median of $63,180 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Bowling Green
At the $61,250 median, a local hire costs about $79,032 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,782 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 Bowling Green
Of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($61,860) and marketing specialists ($60,200). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,300.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +5.0% | 60 | |
| Recruiter | +1.0% | 360 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 650 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -1.7% | 240 | |
| Paralegal | -3.4% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #4 of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green (-11.9%), between HR assistants (-8.5%) and bookkeepers (-12.8%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Bowling Green than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 9.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Bowling Green, 10.0% across Kentucky and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $53,000 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $67,450 in Louisville, a gap of $14,450 a year. Of the 6 areas in Kentucky with more office managers than Bowling Green, 4 pay less, the largest of them Lexington-Fayette, KY ($59,300), the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($53,000) and the West Kentucky nonmetro area ($61,130).
| Area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +10.1% | 6,470 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +3.8% | 1,620 | |
| Owensboro, KY | +1.8% | 380 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 650 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -0.2% | 1,090 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -3.1% | 370 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | -3.2% | 3,090 |
Bowling Green against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bowling Green is #341 of 517 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Beaumont-Port Arthur and Jackson pay just above Bowling Green and State College and Terre Haute just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Bowling Green. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +11.5% | 650 | jobs | |
| Jackson, TN | +0.0% | 1,040 | pay | |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | +0.0% | 1,570 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 650 | ||
| State College, PA | -0.2% | 510 | pay | |
| Terre Haute, IN | -0.3% | 420 | pay | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | -3.2% | 660 | jobs | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -3.3% | 650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Bowling Green, KY?
About $79,032 a year at the median, or $6,586 a month: $61,250 in pay plus about $17,782 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Bowling Green?
The median was $61,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,700, the 90th $94,990, and the middle half earned $48,270 to $76,940.
Is Bowling Green cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,250 against $63,180 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Owensboro at $62,340, the next down the West Kentucky nonmetro area at $61,130.
How many office managers work in Bowling Green?
BLS counts about 650 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Kentucky total of 19,670. 6 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the East Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 950.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Bowling Green?
Yes: $1,050 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,250 and $60,200.
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.