Office Manager salary in Lafayette, LA
Lafayette is a lower-cost market for office managers: the median of $51,630 a year1 is 9.7% below the Louisiana statewide median of $57,180, and 25.7% below the US median of $69,500. Nationally that is #503 of 519 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 1,830 office managers work here, 9% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Lafayette, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LA | $35,950 | $51,630 | $82,940 | |
| Louisiana | $37,780 | $57,180 | $85,350 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $82,940, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Lafayette earns $41,400–$65,840. The mean ($56,710) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,440 wide, against $25,550 across Louisiana and $29,140 nationally: employers in Lafayette 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 | $35,950 | $2,996 | $17.28 | $46,387 |
| 25th percentile | $41,400 | $3,450 | $19.90 | $53,419 |
| Median | $51,630 | $4,302 | $24.82 | $66,619 |
| 75th percentile | $65,840 | $5,487 | $31.65 | $84,955 |
| 90th percentile | $82,940 | $6,912 | $39.88 | $107,019 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $10,230 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $14,210, or about $18,335 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Lafayette, and the Louisiana statewide median of $57,180 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local office managers earn.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette
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 $14,989 to the $51,630 median and brings it to $66,619 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 Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between paralegals ($52,130) and payroll specialists ($50,510). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,720.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +8.6% | 540 | |
| Paralegal | +1.0% | 470 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 1,830 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -2.2% | 200 | |
| HR Assistant | -13.3% | 50 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #14 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette (-25.7%), between bookkeepers (-23.2%) and recruiters (-26.2%). The typical role here is at -18.7%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost less in Lafayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 12.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette, 12.8% across Louisiana and 9.3% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $48,100 in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area to $61,710 in Baton Rouge, a gap of $13,610 a year. All 3 areas in Louisiana with more office managers than Lafayette also pay more, among them New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($60,270) and Baton Rouge, LA ($61,710).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | +6.4% | 880 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +2.8% | 2,110 | |
| Alexandria, LA | +2.2% | 630 | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 1,830 | |
| Monroe, LA | -0.2% | 1,030 | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -3.2% | 760 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 650 |
Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette is #130 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 Louisiana, Jonesboro and Wheeling pay just above Lafayette and Eagle Pass and Brownsville-Harlingen just below. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MA | +38.7% | 1,790 | jobs | |
| Lincoln, NE | +19.3% | 1,850 | jobs | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | +15.8% | 1,870 | jobs | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +1.3% | 560 | pay | |
| Jonesboro, AR | +0.3% | 560 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | this area | 1,830 | ||
| Eagle Pass, TX | -1.8% | 190 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -5.1% | 1,560 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Lafayette, LA?
About $66,619 a year at the median, or $5,552 a month: $51,630 in pay plus about $14,989 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Lafayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $51,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,950, the 90th $82,940, and the middle half earned $41,400 to $65,840.
Is Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $51,630 against $57,180 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Alexandria at $52,780, the next down Monroe at $51,530.
How many office managers work in Lafayette?
BLS counts about 1,830 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the Louisiana total of 20,810. 3 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Shreveport-Bossier City, with about 2,110.
Does an office manager cost more than a payroll specialist in Lafayette?
Yes: $1,120 a year more at the median. The medians are $51,630 and $50,510.
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.