Office Manager salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY
Lexington-Fayette is a lower-cost market for office managers: the median of $59,300 a year1 is 6.1% below the Kentucky statewide median of $63,180, and 14.7% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#398 of 519). About 3,090 office managers work here, 16% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Lexington-Fayette, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lexington-Fayette against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $40,230 | $59,300 | $98,790 | |
| Kentucky | $41,350 | $63,180 | $99,330 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $98,790, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Lexington-Fayette earns $47,620–$78,530. The mean ($64,580) is 9% 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 $30,910 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($31,910) and the US figure ($29,140).
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 | $40,230 | $3,352 | $19.34 | $51,910 |
| 25th percentile | $47,620 | $3,968 | $22.89 | $61,445 |
| Median | $59,300 | $4,942 | $28.51 | $76,516 |
| 75th percentile | $78,530 | $6,544 | $37.75 | $101,329 |
| 90th percentile | $98,790 | $8,232 | $47.50 | $127,471 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,230 over the median, the 25th only $11,680 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $24,813 a year in employer cost. 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 Lexington-Fayette, and the Kentucky statewide median of $63,180 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lexington-Fayette
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 $17,216 to the $59,300 median and brings it to $76,516 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 Lexington-Fayette
Of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between paralegals ($63,640) and payroll specialists ($56,230). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +9.3% | 580 | |
| Paralegal | +7.3% | 640 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 3,090 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -5.2% | 190 | |
| HR Assistant | -14.5% | 150 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette (-14.7%), between data entry specialists (-13.3%) and executive assistants (-15.3%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost less in Lexington-Fayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 10.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette, 9.9% across Kentucky and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $53,000 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $67,450 in Louisville, a gap of $14,450 a year. The one area in Kentucky with more office managers, Louisville, KY-IN ($67,450), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | +3.3% | 650 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +3.1% | 1,090 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +0.1% | 370 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 3,090 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -3.0% | 440 | |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -7.4% | 950 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -10.6% | 1,640 |
Lexington-Fayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lexington-Fayette is #79 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Sherman-Denison and Auburn-Opelika pay just above Lexington-Fayette and Columbus and Bay City just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Lexington-Fayette. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +20.9% | 3,100 | jobs | |
| Anchorage, AK | +15.7% | 3,070 | jobs | |
| Jackson, MS | +1.3% | 3,070 | jobs | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | +0.0% | 660 | pay | |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | +0.0% | 480 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 3,090 | ||
| Columbus, GA-AL | -0.0% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Bay City, MI | -0.2% | 180 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
About $76,516 a year at the median, or $6,376 a month: $59,300 in pay plus about $17,216 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,300 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,230, the 90th $98,790, and the middle half earned $47,620 to $78,530.
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,300 against $63,180 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Elizabethtown at $59,340, the next down Paducah at $57,510.
How many office managers work in Lexington-Fayette?
BLS counts about 3,090 in the May 2025 survey. That is 16% of the Kentucky total of 19,670. Only Louisville has more in Kentucky.
Does an office manager cost more than a payroll specialist in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes: $3,070 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,300 and $56,230.
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.