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Office Manager salary in Madison, WI

Madison is a higher-paying market for office managers: the median of $75,290 a year1 is 6.7% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $70,560, and 8.3% above the US median of $69,500. Nationally that is #37 of 519 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 3,380 people in this job here, 15% of the Wisconsin total.

$6,274median pay per month in Madison
$8,096employer cost per month with benefits
$36.20median pay per hour
3,380people in this job in Madison

BLS occupation 43-1011, area Madison, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in Madison against Wisconsin and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Madison, WI$49,460$75,290$106,360
Wisconsin$47,590$70,560$102,440
United States$45,610$69,500$104,710
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $106,360, 2.2 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Madison earns $62,600–$87,410. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,810 wide, against $25,660 across Wisconsin and $29,140 nationally: employers in Madison pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for an office manager here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$49,460$4,122$23.78$63,819
25th percentile$62,600$5,217$30.10$80,774
Median$75,290$6,274$36.20$97,148
75th percentile$87,410$7,284$42.02$112,787
90th percentile$106,360$8,863$51.13$137,239

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,690 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,120, or about $15,639 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 25th percentile and the median in Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $70,560 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in Madison

At the $75,290 median, a local hire costs about $97,148 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,858 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.

$97,148local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$83,260difference in year one
86%of the local cost saved

Other roles in Madison

Of the 17 roles we track in Madison, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($76,660) and executive assistants ($70,800). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,990.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Madison, WI
RoleMedianvs office managerJobs
Accountant
$81,130
+7.8%4,440
Recruiter
$76,660
+1.8%2,810
Office Manager
$75,290
this role3,380
Executive Assistant
$70,800
-6.0%950
Marketing Specialist
$67,990
-9.7%2,640

Measured against the US median, office managers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (+8.3%), between payroll specialists (+9.0%) and administrative assistants (+8.1%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 7.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 8.2% across Wisconsin and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Wisconsin

Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $62,550 in the Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetro area to $77,390 in Kenosha, a gap of $14,840 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more office managers, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($73,970), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.

AreaMedianvs MadisonJobs
Kenosha, WI
$77,390
+2.8%570
Madison, WI
$75,290
this area3,380
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$73,970
-1.8%6,310
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
$73,890
-1.9%570
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$72,130
-4.2%530
Fond du Lac, WI
$71,250
-5.4%340
Green Bay, WI
$71,130
-5.5%1,240

Madison against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, Madison is #72 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Wisconsin, Baltimore-Columbia and Kennewick-Richland pay just above Madison and Elkhart-Goshen and Manchester-Nashua just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.

Metro areaMedianvs MadisonJobsClose in
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$75,640
+0.5%1,180pay
Baltimore-Columbia, MD
$75,590
+0.4%15,070pay
Madison, WI
$75,290
this area3,380
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
$75,180
-0.1%690pay
Manchester-Nashua, NH
$74,970
-0.4%2,490pay
Worcester, MA
$73,130
-2.9%3,380jobs
Fayetteville-Springdale, AR
$63,620
-15.5%3,310jobs
Tucson, AZ
$59,440
-21.1%3,500jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Madison, WI?

About $97,148 a year at the median, or $8,096 a month: $75,290 in pay plus about $21,858 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do office managers earn in Madison?

Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $75,290 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,460, the 90th $106,360, and the middle half earned $62,600 to $87,410.

Is Madison cheaper than the rest of Wisconsin for office managers?

No, it costs more: a median of $75,290 against $70,560 statewide. The next area up in Wisconsin is Kenosha at $77,390, the next down Milwaukee-Waukesha at $73,970.

How many office managers work in Madison?

BLS counts about 3,380 in the May 2025 survey. That is 15% of the Wisconsin total of 22,950. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.

Does an office manager cost more than an executive assistant in Madison?

Yes: $4,490 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,290 and $70,800.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.