Office Manager salary in Mankato, MN
Mankato pays office managers less than Minnesota as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $71,310 a year1: 6.7% below the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 and 2.6% above the US median of $69,500. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#86 of 519). About 360 office managers work here, 2% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Mankato, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Mankato against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mankato, MN | $49,540 | $71,310 | $97,550 | |
| Minnesota | $49,920 | $76,440 | $106,100 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Mankato earns $59,290–$86,170. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $97,550, 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 $26,880 wide, against $29,450 across Minnesota and $29,140 nationally: employers in Mankato 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 | $49,540 | $4,128 | $23.82 | $63,923 |
| 25th percentile | $59,290 | $4,941 | $28.50 | $76,503 |
| Median | $71,310 | $5,942 | $34.28 | $92,013 |
| 75th percentile | $86,170 | $7,181 | $41.43 | $111,187 |
| 90th percentile | $97,550 | $8,129 | $46.90 | $125,871 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $14,860 a year in pay and about $19,174 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $12,020 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 25th percentile and the median in Mankato, and the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Mankato
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 $20,703 to the $71,310 median and brings it to $92,013 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 Mankato
Of the 15 roles we track in Mankato, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between recruiters ($72,410) and sales development representatives ($60,850). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,970.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +2.4% | 230 | |
| Recruiter | +1.5% | 260 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 360 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -14.7% | 220 | |
| Paralegal | -16.6% | 100 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #5 of the 15 roles we track in Mankato (+2.6%), between customer support specialists (+5.7%) and payroll specialists (+1.0%). The typical role here is at -0.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 7.7% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Mankato, 7.5% across Minnesota and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $64,190 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $78,410 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $14,220 a year. Of the 7 areas in Minnesota with more office managers than Mankato, 3 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($66,180), Duluth, MN-WI ($65,880) and the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($67,710).
| Area | Median | vs Mankato | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +3.1% | 960 | |
| Rochester, MN | +2.3% | 940 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +0.7% | 820 | |
| Mankato, MN | this area | 360 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -5.0% | 680 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -7.2% | 1,510 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -7.6% | 810 |
Mankato against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Mankato is #455 of 517 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Barnstable Town and Eugene-Springfield pay just above Mankato and Memphis and Fond du Lac just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Mankato. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Mankato | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +0.3% | 1,040 | pay | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | +0.1% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Mankato, MN | this area | 360 | ||
| Memphis, TN-MS | +0.0% | 8,710 | pay | |
| Fond du Lac, WI | -0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Lawrence, KS | -6.8% | 360 | jobs | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -14.4% | 360 | jobs | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -16.8% | 370 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Mankato, MN?
About $92,013 a year at the median, or $7,668 a month: $71,310 in pay plus about $20,703 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Mankato?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $71,310 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,540, the 90th $97,550, and the middle half earned $59,290 to $86,170.
Is Mankato cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $71,310 against $76,440 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is St. Cloud at $71,790, the next down the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $67,710.
How many office managers work in Mankato?
BLS counts about 360 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Minnesota total of 21,690. 7 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 680.
Does an office manager cost more than a sales development representative in Mankato?
Yes: $10,460 a year more at the median. The medians are $71,310 and $60,850.
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.