Office Manager salary in Merced, CA
Hiring an office manager costs less in Merced than in California or the country as a whole. The median is $68,070 a year1: 12.3% below the California statewide median of $77,590 and 2.1% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#128 of 519). BLS counts about 560 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Merced, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Merced against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $46,700 | $68,070 | $101,510 | |
| California | $50,870 | $77,590 | $121,650 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $101,510, 2.2 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Merced earns $55,330–$80,190. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,860 wide, against $34,420 across California and $29,140 nationally: employers in Merced 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 | $46,700 | $3,892 | $22.45 | $60,258 |
| 25th percentile | $55,330 | $4,611 | $26.60 | $71,394 |
| Median | $68,070 | $5,672 | $32.73 | $87,832 |
| 75th percentile | $80,190 | $6,682 | $38.55 | $103,471 |
| 90th percentile | $101,510 | $8,459 | $48.80 | $130,981 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,740 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 median and the 75th percentile in Merced, and the California statewide median of $77,590 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Merced
At the $68,070 median, a local hire costs about $87,832 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,762 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.
Other roles in Merced
Of the 16 roles we track in Merced, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($76,820) and marketing specialists ($65,640). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,850.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +18.1% | 360 | |
| Recruiter | +12.9% | 280 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 560 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.6% | 170 | |
| Paralegal | -9.9% | 90 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in Merced (-2.1%), between recruiters (+1.2%) and paralegals (-2.5%). The typical role here is at +1.8%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost less in Merced than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 11.7% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Merced, 9.0% across California and 9.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $66,410 in El Centro to $95,010 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $28,600 a year. All 23 areas in California with more office managers than Merced also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($77,530) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($88,560).
| Area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuba City, CA | +4.3% | 380 | |
| Chico, CA | +3.5% | 660 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +2.8% | 940 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 540 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | +2.1% | 370 | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 560 | |
| El Centro, CA | -2.4% | 480 |
Merced against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Merced is #374 of 517 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Amherst Town-Northampton and Grand Forks pay just above Merced and Eau Claire and Fargo just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Merced. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +2.4% | 570 | jobs | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | +0.5% | 230 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.4% | 650 | pay | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 560 | ||
| Eau Claire, WI | -0.1% | 610 | pay | |
| Fargo, ND-MN | -0.5% | 860 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -23.2% | 560 | jobs | |
| Jonesboro, AR | -23.9% | 560 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Merced, CA?
About $87,832 a year at the median, or $7,319 a month: $68,070 in pay plus about $19,762 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Merced?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $68,070 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,700, the 90th $101,510, and the middle half earned $55,330 to $80,190.
Is Merced cheaper than the rest of California for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $68,070 against $77,590 statewide. The next area up in California is Hanford-Corcoran at $69,520, the next down El Centro at $66,410.
How many office managers work in Merced?
BLS counts about 560 in the May 2025 survey. 23 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Napa, with about 600.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Merced?
Yes: $2,430 a year more at the median. The medians are $68,070 and $65,640.
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.