Office Manager salary in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area
The Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for office managers: the median of $55,030 a year1 is 5.7% below the Mississippi statewide median of $58,380, and 20.8% below the US median of $69,500. Only 38 of 519 US areas pay less for this job. About 930 office managers work here, 7% of the Mississippi total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area against Mississippi and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | $37,310 | $55,030 | $89,990 | |
| Mississippi | $38,030 | $58,380 | $90,210 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $89,990, 2.4 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area earns $43,700–$67,200. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $23,500 wide, against $27,720 across Mississippi and $29,140 nationally: employers in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area 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 | $37,310 | $3,109 | $17.94 | $48,142 |
| 25th percentile | $43,700 | $3,642 | $21.01 | $56,387 |
| Median | $55,030 | $4,586 | $26.46 | $71,006 |
| 75th percentile | $67,200 | $5,600 | $32.31 | $86,710 |
| 90th percentile | $89,990 | $7,499 | $43.26 | $116,116 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $12,170 a year in pay and about $15,703 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,330 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area, and the Mississippi statewide median of $58,380 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 the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area
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 $15,976 to the $55,030 median and brings it to $71,006 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 the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($58,210) and marketing specialists ($51,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +36.1% | 420 | |
| Recruiter | +5.8% | 230 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 930 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -5.5% | 110 | |
| Executive Assistant | -7.4% | 70 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #5 of the 15 roles we track in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area (-20.8%), between payroll specialists (-20.2%) and bookkeepers (-22.0%). The typical role here is at -23.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 15.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area and 9.2% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Mississippi
Across the 7 areas of Mississippi with data for this job, the median runs from $53,540 in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area to $60,100 in Jackson, a gap of $6,560 a year. Of the 5 areas in Mississippi with more office managers than the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area ($53,540).
| Area | Median | vs the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS | +9.2% | 3,070 | |
| Upper East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +7.5% | 2,390 | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +6.1% | 1,890 | |
| West Delta Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +3.1% | 1,060 | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +1.2% | 680 | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 930 | |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -2.7% | 1,390 |
the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area is #258 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 Mississippi, Lake Havasu City-Kingman and Jacksonville pay just above the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area and Victoria and Lake Charles just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | +39.1% | 920 | jobs | |
| Rochester, MN | +32.5% | 940 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | +12.1% | 930 | jobs | |
| Jacksonville, NC | +0.2% | 350 | pay | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.2% | 510 | pay | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 930 | ||
| Victoria, TX | -0.1% | 410 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -0.1% | 880 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro)?
About $71,006 a year at the median, or $5,917 a month: $55,030 in pay plus about $15,976 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $55,030 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,310, the 90th $89,990, and the middle half earned $43,700 to $67,200.
Is the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Mississippi for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,030 against $58,380 statewide. The next area up in Mississippi is Hattiesburg at $55,670, the next down the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area at $53,540.
How many office managers work in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 930 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Mississippi total of 13,680. 5 areas in Mississippi have more; the closest in size is the West Delta Mississippi nonmetro area, with about 1,060.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
Yes: $3,040 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,030 and $51,990.
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.