Office Manager salary in Dubuque, IA
For this job Dubuque sits right at the Iowa figure, with a median of $64,070 a year1. That is about level with the Iowa statewide median of $64,400, and 7.8% below the US median of $69,500. Nationally it ranks #213 of 519 areas. BLS counts about 440 people in this job here, 4% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Dubuque, IA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Dubuque against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque, IA | $43,840 | $64,070 | $93,400 | |
| Iowa | $43,680 | $64,400 | $97,710 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $93,400, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Dubuque earns $51,930–$77,360. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $25,430 wide, against $29,000 across Iowa and $29,140 nationally: employers in Dubuque 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 | $43,840 | $3,653 | $21.08 | $56,568 |
| 25th percentile | $51,930 | $4,328 | $24.97 | $67,006 |
| Median | $64,070 | $5,339 | $30.80 | $82,671 |
| 75th percentile | $77,360 | $6,447 | $37.19 | $99,819 |
| 90th percentile | $93,400 | $7,783 | $44.90 | $120,516 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,140 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $13,290, or about $17,148 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 Dubuque, and the Iowa statewide median of $64,400 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Dubuque
At the $64,070 median, a local hire costs about $82,671 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,601 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 Dubuque
Of the 15 roles we track in Dubuque, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($64,390) and sales development representatives ($61,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,690.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +15.7% | 450 | |
| Recruiter | +0.5% | 380 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 440 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.3% | 210 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.8% | 330 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #6 of the 15 roles we track in Dubuque (-7.8%), between bookkeepers (-6.0%) and paralegals (-11.4%). The typical role here is at -11.4%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Dubuque than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 7.5% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Dubuque, 7.6% across Iowa and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $57,940 in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area to $71,690 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, a gap of $13,750 a year. Of the 8 areas in Iowa with more office managers than Dubuque, 6 pay less, the largest of them Davenport-Moline, IA-IL ($63,020), the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area ($62,440) and Cedar Rapids, IA ($63,730).
| Area | Median | vs Dubuque | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +11.9% | 3,100 | |
| Iowa City, IA | +3.7% | 600 | |
| Ames, IA | +3.7% | 280 | |
| Dubuque, IA | this area | 440 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | -0.5% | 1,020 | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -1.6% | 1,160 | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | -2.4% | 790 |
Dubuque against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Dubuque is #421 of 517 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Iowa, Cheyenne and Elmira pay just above Dubuque and Lancaster and Evansville just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Dubuque. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Dubuque | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira, NY | +0.1% | 280 | pay | |
| Cheyenne, WY | +0.1% | 420 | pay | |
| Dubuque, IA | this area | 440 | ||
| Lancaster, PA | -0.0% | 1,890 | pay | |
| Evansville, IN | -0.1% | 820 | pay | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | -2.8% | 440 | jobs | |
| Warner Robins, GA | -10.2% | 440 | jobs | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -10.2% | 440 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Dubuque, IA?
About $82,671 a year at the median, or $6,889 a month: $64,070 in pay plus about $18,601 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Dubuque?
The median was $64,070 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,840, the 90th $93,400, and the middle half earned $51,930 to $77,360.
Is Dubuque cheaper than the rest of Iowa for office managers?
About the same: a median of $64,070 against $64,400 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is Ames at $66,420, the next down Cedar Rapids at $63,730.
How many office managers work in Dubuque?
BLS counts about 440 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Iowa total of 10,190. 8 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is Waterloo-Cedar Falls, with about 500.
Does an office manager cost more than a sales development representative in Dubuque?
Yes: $2,100 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,070 and $61,970.
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.