Office Manager salary in Modesto, CA
The median office manager in Modesto earned $74,140 a year in May 20251. That is 6.7% above the US median of $69,500, even though it is 4.4% below the California statewide median of $77,590. Nationally that is #44 of 519 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,490 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Modesto, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Modesto against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $48,870 | $74,140 | $104,580 | |
| California | $50,870 | $77,590 | $121,650 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $104,580, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in Modesto earns $61,800–$86,280. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,480 wide, against $34,420 across California and $29,140 nationally: employers in Modesto 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 | $48,870 | $4,072 | $23.50 | $63,058 |
| 25th percentile | $61,800 | $5,150 | $29.71 | $79,742 |
| Median | $74,140 | $6,178 | $35.64 | $95,665 |
| 75th percentile | $86,280 | $7,190 | $41.48 | $111,329 |
| 90th percentile | $104,580 | $8,715 | $50.28 | $134,942 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,340 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,140, or about $15,665 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 Modesto, and the California statewide median of $77,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Modesto
At the $74,140 median, a local hire costs about $95,665 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,525 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 Modesto
Of the 17 roles we track in Modesto, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($77,070) and marketing specialists ($71,600). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,490.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +5.1% | 520 | |
| Recruiter | +4.0% | 730 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 1,490 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.4% | 580 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -16.4% | 260 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Modesto (+6.7%), between bookkeepers (+8.6%) and payroll specialists (+6.4%). The typical role here is at +5.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 10.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Modesto, 8.9% across California and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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. Of the 11 areas in California with more office managers than Modesto, 5 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($73,640), Fresno, CA ($71,820) and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA ($73,260).
| Area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +3.0% | 1,440 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +2.9% | 1,730 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +2.7% | 11,780 | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,490 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | -0.1% | 2,190 | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.2% | 1,230 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.7% | 13,240 |
Modesto against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Modesto is #155 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, Bismarck and Providence-Warwick pay just above Modesto and Milwaukee-Waukesha and Norwich-New London just below. All four are within $330 a year of the median in Modesto. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +0.4% | 6,930 | pay | |
| Bismarck, ND | +0.2% | 310 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,490 | ||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.2% | 6,310 | pay | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | -0.3% | 1,660 | pay | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -0.5% | 1,480 | jobs | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -4.1% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| Savannah, GA | -15.3% | 1,490 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Modesto, CA?
About $95,665 a year at the median, or $7,972 a month: $74,140 in pay plus about $21,525 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Modesto?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $74,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $48,870, the 90th $104,580, and the middle half earned $61,800 to $86,280.
Is Modesto cheaper than the rest of California for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $74,140 against $77,590 statewide. The next area up in California is San Diego-Chula Vista at $76,120, the next down Stockton-Lodi at $74,100.
How many office managers work in Modesto?
BLS counts about 1,490 in the May 2025 survey. 11 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 1,730.
Does an office manager cost more than a marketing specialist in Modesto?
Yes: $2,540 a year more at the median. The medians are $74,140 and $71,600.
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.