Office Manager salary in Johnson City, TN
Hiring an office manager costs less in Johnson City than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $59,420 a year1: 10.5% below the Tennessee statewide median of $66,390 and 14.5% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#390 of 519). About 1,420 office managers work here, 3% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $40,020 | $59,420 | $90,080 | |
| Tennessee | $43,650 | $66,390 | $103,790 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $90,080, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Johnson City earns $47,740–$73,770. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $26,030 wide, against $32,470 across Tennessee and $29,140 nationally: employers in Johnson City 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 | $40,020 | $3,335 | $19.24 | $51,639 |
| 25th percentile | $47,740 | $3,978 | $22.95 | $61,600 |
| Median | $59,420 | $4,952 | $28.57 | $76,671 |
| 75th percentile | $73,770 | $6,148 | $35.47 | $95,187 |
| 90th percentile | $90,080 | $7,507 | $43.31 | $116,232 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $14,350 a year in pay and about $18,516 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,680 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 Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $66,390 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Johnson City
At the $59,420 median, a local hire costs about $76,671 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,251 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 Johnson City
Of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($61,730) and marketing specialists ($58,760). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,100.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +8.9% | 510 | |
| Recruiter | +3.9% | 360 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 1,420 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -1.1% | 220 | |
| Executive Assistant | -1.1% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-14.5%), between data entry specialists (-12.7%) and administrative assistants (-15.7%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Johnson City than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 15.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 13.7% across Tennessee and 9.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $59,040 in the East Tennessee nonmetro area to $73,060 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $14,020 a year. All 4 areas in Tennessee with more office managers than Johnson City also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($73,060) and Memphis, TN-MS ($71,310).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +2.5% | 1,280 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | +2.1% | 1,380 | |
| Morristown, TN | +0.6% | 500 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +0.3% | 1,330 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 1,420 | |
| Cleveland, TN | -0.4% | 600 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | n/a |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #165 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 Tennessee, Burlington and Tucson pay just above Johnson City and Erie and Myrtle Beach-Conway just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | +5.0% | 1,420 | jobs | |
| Tallahassee, FL | +0.5% | 1,430 | jobs | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.0% | 3,500 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | +0.0% | 500 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 1,420 | ||
| Erie, PA | -0.1% | 1,040 | pay | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -0.1% | 1,560 | pay | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | -0.7% | 1,430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Johnson City, TN?
About $76,671 a year at the median, or $6,389 a month: $59,420 in pay plus about $17,251 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,420 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,020, the 90th $90,080, and the middle half earned $47,740 to $73,770.
Is Johnson City cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,420 against $66,390 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area at $59,610, the next down Cleveland at $59,190.
How many office managers work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 1,420 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Tennessee total of 49,870. 4 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Chattanooga, with about 3,940.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Johnson City?
Yes: $660 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,420 and $58,760.
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.