Office Manager salary and cost of hiring in California
The median office manager in California earned $77,590 a year in May 2025[1], 11.6% above the US median of $69,500. That puts California at #5 of 51 states for this job.
BLS occupation 43-1011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.
Salary range
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $50,870 | $77,590 | $121,650 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in California earns $62,660–$97,080; the top tenth earns $121,650 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth.
What a hire really costs
Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the California median that makes about $110,843 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].
Pay by metro area in California
| Area | Median | 75th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,400 | 7,630 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $107,450 | 19,480 | |
| Vallejo, CA | $98,630 | 1,160 | |
| Napa, CA | $98,280 | 600 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $96,740 | 54,340 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $92,010 | 1,120 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $97,410 | 860 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $96,300 | 9,190 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $90,650 | 1,440 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $90,840 | 1,730 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $92,560 | 11,780 | |
| Modesto, CA | $86,280 | 1,490 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $88,490 | 2,190 | |
| Salinas, CA | $87,630 | 1,230 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $87,630 | 13,240 | |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $81,480 | 910 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $85,730 | 2,870 | |
| Visalia, CA | $90,570 | 1,240 | |
| Redding, CA | $79,990 | 660 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $84,170 | 2,430 | |
| Fresno, CA | $82,500 | 3,670 | |
| Yuba City, CA | $83,650 | 380 | |
| Chico, CA | $78,720 | 660 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $83,260 | 940 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $81,570 | 540 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $78,680 | 370 | |
| Merced, CA | $80,190 | 560 | |
| El Centro, CA | $77,400 | 480 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most ($95,010) and El Centro, CA the least ($66,410): $28,600 a year apart for the same job.
What an office manager does
An office manager (for a remote team: an operations coordinator) owns the processes that keep a small company organised: vendors, onboarding, tools, policies and the admin calendar.
Neighbours in the ranking
| State | Median | vs California |
|---|---|---|
| New York | +2.0% | |
| Connecticut | +0.8% | |
| California | +0.0% | |
| Massachusetts | -1.1% | |
| New Jersey | -1.2% |
Questions
How much does an office manager earn in California?
The median was $77,590 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $62,660 to $97,080.
What does it cost to employ an office manager in California?
About $110,843 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).
Where in California do office managers earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $95,010 a year.
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes431011.htm
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
- Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
- Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.