Office Manager salary and cost of hiring in Iowa
The median office manager in Iowa earned $64,400 a year in May 2025[1], 7.3% below the US median of $69,500. That puts Iowa at #29 of 51 states for this job.
BLS occupation 43-1011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Salary range
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $43,680 | $64,400 | $97,710 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Iowa earns $51,130–$80,130; the top tenth earns $97,710 or more, 2.2 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 Iowa median that makes about $92,000 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 Iowa
| Area | Median | 75th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $83,420 | 3,100 | |
| Iowa City, IA | $84,310 | 600 | |
| Ames, IA | $78,470 | 280 | |
| Dubuque, IA | $77,360 | 440 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $78,470 | 1,020 | |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $78,890 | 1,160 | |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $74,990 | 790 | |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $75,870 | 1,100 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $78,320 | 420 | |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $76,120 | 430 | |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $76,320 | 500 | |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $70,620 | 610 |
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA pays the most ($71,690) and Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area the least ($57,940): $13,750 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 Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | +0.5% | |
| Georgia (US state) | +0.3% | |
| Iowa | +0.0% | |
| Florida | -0.1% | |
| Arizona | -0.2% |
Questions
How much does an office manager earn in Iowa?
The median was $64,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $51,130 to $80,130.
What does it cost to employ an office manager in Iowa?
About $92,000 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).
Where in Iowa do office managers earn the most?
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, with a median of $71,690 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. Last updated 2026-11-05.