Office Manager salary in Duluth, MN-WI
Hiring an office manager costs less in Duluth than in Minnesota or the country as a whole. The median is $65,880 a year1: 13.8% below the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 and 5.2% below the US median of $69,500. Among US areas it comes in at #169 of 519. BLS counts about 810 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Duluth, MN-WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Duluth against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WI | $47,100 | $65,880 | $96,560 | |
| Minnesota | $49,920 | $76,440 | $106,100 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Duluth earns $56,070–$80,660. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $96,560, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,590 wide, against $29,450 across Minnesota and $29,140 nationally: employers in Duluth 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 | $47,100 | $3,925 | $22.64 | $60,774 |
| 25th percentile | $56,070 | $4,672 | $26.96 | $72,348 |
| Median | $65,880 | $5,490 | $31.67 | $85,006 |
| 75th percentile | $80,660 | $6,722 | $38.78 | $104,077 |
| 90th percentile | $96,560 | $8,047 | $46.42 | $124,594 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $14,780 over the median, the 25th only $9,810 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $19,071 a year in employer cost. 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 Duluth, and the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Duluth
At the $65,880 median, a local hire costs about $85,006 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,126 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 Duluth
Of the 15 roles we track in Duluth, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($67,040) and marketing specialists ($63,380). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,550.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +11.2% | 200 | |
| Recruiter | +1.8% | 560 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 810 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.8% | 330 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.3% | 520 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in Duluth (-5.2%), between executive assistants (-4.3%) and project coordinators (-5.6%). The typical role here is at -5.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 8.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Duluth, 7.5% across Minnesota and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $64,190 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $78,410 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $14,220 a year. All 5 areas in Minnesota with more office managers than Duluth also pay more, among them Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI ($78,410) and the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($66,180).
| Area | Median | vs Duluth | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +10.7% | 940 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +9.0% | 820 | |
| Mankato, MN | +8.2% | 360 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +2.8% | 680 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.5% | 1,510 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | this area | 810 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -2.6% | 300 |
Duluth against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Duluth is #287 of 517 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Charleston-North Charleston and Houston-Pasadena pay just above Duluth and Harrisburg-Carlisle and Allentown-Bethlehem just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Duluth. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Duluth | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | +0.2% | 36,940 | pay | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +0.0% | 4,650 | pay | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | this area | 810 | ||
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +0.0% | 4,510 | pay | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | -0.2% | 3,230 | pay | |
| Evansville, IN | -2.9% | 820 | jobs | |
| Charlottesville, VA | -3.6% | 800 | jobs | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | -16.0% | 820 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Duluth, MN-WI?
About $85,006 a year at the median, or $7,084 a month: $65,880 in pay plus about $19,126 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Duluth?
The median was $65,880 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,100, the 90th $96,560, and the middle half earned $56,070 to $80,660.
Is Duluth cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $65,880 against $76,440 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $66,180, the next down the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $64,190.
How many office managers work in Duluth?
BLS counts about 810 in the May 2025 survey. 5 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is St. Cloud, with about 820.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Duluth?
Yes: $2,500 a year more at the median. The medians are $65,880 and $63,380.
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.