Office Manager salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
Hiring an office manager costs less in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than in South Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $59,090 a year1: 6.1% below the South Carolina statewide median of $62,920 and 15.0% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#408 of 519). BLS counts about 960 people in this job here, 4% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | $39,160 | $59,090 | $88,480 | |
| South Carolina | $43,570 | $62,920 | $99,680 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $48,290–$72,040. The top tenth earns $88,480 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 $23,750 wide, against $30,080 across South Carolina and $29,140 nationally: employers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton 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 | $39,160 | $3,263 | $18.83 | $50,529 |
| 25th percentile | $48,290 | $4,024 | $23.22 | $62,310 |
| Median | $59,090 | $4,924 | $28.41 | $76,245 |
| 75th percentile | $72,040 | $6,003 | $34.63 | $92,955 |
| 90th percentile | $88,480 | $7,373 | $42.54 | $114,168 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $12,950 a year in pay and about $16,710 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $10,800 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $62,920 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $17,155 to the $59,090 median and brings it to $76,245 a year. 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between executive assistants ($62,270) and paralegals ($53,930). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,990.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +18.0% | 300 | |
| Executive Assistant | +5.4% | 70 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 960 | |
| Paralegal | -8.7% | 300 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -12.7% | 720 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #11 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-15.0%), between paralegals (-14.2%) and customer support specialists (-16.0%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost less in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 10.8% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 10.8% across South Carolina and 9.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $58,590 in Sumter to $65,910 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $7,320 a year. All 6 areas in South Carolina with more office managers than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton also pay more, among them Columbia, SC ($62,230) and Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($65,910).
| Area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, SC | +4.5% | 1,010 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +3.5% | 860 | |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +1.1% | 530 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +0.5% | 1,560 | |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +0.0% | 780 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 960 | |
| Sumter, SC | -0.8% | 320 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #247 of 517 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Rocky Mount and Cleveland pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Springfield and Killeen-Temple just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | +17.3% | 960 | jobs | |
| Abilene, TX | +2.0% | 970 | jobs | |
| Cleveland, TN | +0.2% | 600 | pay | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | +0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 960 | ||
| Springfield, OH | -0.1% | 400 | pay | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | -0.2% | 1,430 | pay | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -3.3% | 960 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?
About $76,245 a year at the median, or $6,354 a month: $59,090 in pay plus about $17,155 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,090 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,160, the 90th $88,480, and the middle half earned $48,290 to $72,040.
Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,090 against $62,920 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is the Northeastern South Carolina nonmetro area at $59,100, the next down Sumter at $58,590.
How many office managers work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
BLS counts about 960 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the South Carolina total of 26,710. 6 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Florence, with about 1,010.
Does an office manager cost more than a paralegal in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Yes: $5,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,090 and $53,930.
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.