Office Manager salary in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Kalamazoo-Portage pays office managers more than Michigan as a whole but less than the country. The median is $65,640 a year1: 1.4% above the Michigan statewide median of $64,720 and 5.6% below the US median of $69,500. Nationally it ranks #176 of 519 areas. BLS counts about 880 people in this job here, 3% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Kalamazoo-Portage, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kalamazoo-Portage against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $45,880 | $65,640 | $93,770 | |
| Michigan | $44,830 | $64,720 | $98,770 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Kalamazoo-Portage earns $54,240–$77,720. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $93,770, only 2.0 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 $23,480 wide, against $28,850 across Michigan and $29,140 nationally: employers in Kalamazoo-Portage 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 | $45,880 | $3,823 | $22.06 | $59,200 |
| 25th percentile | $54,240 | $4,520 | $26.08 | $69,987 |
| Median | $65,640 | $5,470 | $31.56 | $84,697 |
| 75th percentile | $77,720 | $6,477 | $37.37 | $100,284 |
| 90th percentile | $93,770 | $7,814 | $45.08 | $120,994 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $11,400 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,080, or about $15,587 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, and the Michigan statewide median of $64,720 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Kalamazoo-Portage
At the $65,640 median, a local hire costs about $84,697 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,057 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 Kalamazoo-Portage
Of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($70,920) and recruiters ($64,560). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,590.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +17.5% | 1,060 | |
| Executive Assistant | +8.0% | 250 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 880 | |
| Recruiter | -1.6% | 690 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -5.8% | 610 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage (-5.6%), between bookkeepers (-5.2%) and administrative assistants (-7.0%). The typical role here is at -7.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 8.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kalamazoo-Portage, 7.6% across Michigan and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $57,700 in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area to $69,520 in Lansing-East Lansing, a gap of $11,820 a year. Of the 6 areas in Michigan with more office managers than Kalamazoo-Portage, 4 pay less, the largest of them Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($64,840), Ann Arbor, MI ($64,880) and the Mid Michigan nonmetro area ($57,700).
| Area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +5.9% | 1,960 | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | +2.2% | 13,480 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 880 | |
| Jackson, MI | -0.1% | 410 | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | -1.2% | 1,330 | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -1.2% | 4,110 | |
| Flint, MI | -1.6% | 920 |
Kalamazoo-Portage against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kalamazoo-Portage is #266 of 517 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Medford and Rockford pay just above Kalamazoo-Portage and South Bend-Mishawaka and Jacksonville just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Kalamazoo-Portage. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | +11.3% | 880 | jobs | |
| Rockford, IL | +0.2% | 750 | pay | |
| Medford, OR | +0.1% | 640 | pay | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 880 | ||
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -0.0% | 920 | pay | |
| Jacksonville, FL | -0.1% | 7,640 | pay | |
| Logan, UT-ID | -3.1% | 880 | jobs | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -16.3% | 880 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
About $84,697 a year at the median, or $7,058 a month: $65,640 in pay plus about $19,057 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The median was $65,640 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,880, the 90th $93,770, and the middle half earned $54,240 to $77,720.
Is Kalamazoo-Portage cheaper than the rest of Michigan for office managers?
No, it costs more: a median of $65,640 against $64,720 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Detroit-Warren at $67,060, the next down Jackson at $65,560.
How many office managers work in Kalamazoo-Portage?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Michigan total of 30,690. 6 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Flint, with about 920.
Does an office manager cost more than a recruiter in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Yes: $1,080 a year more at the median. The medians are $65,640 and $64,560.
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.