Office Manager salary in Rochester, MN
Rochester pays office managers less than Minnesota as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $72,940 a year1: 4.6% below the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 and 4.9% above the US median of $69,500. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#68 of 519). BLS counts about 940 people in this job here, 4% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Rochester, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | $47,550 | $72,940 | $101,270 | |
| Minnesota | $49,920 | $76,440 | $106,100 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Rochester earns $62,490–$80,310. The top tenth earns $101,270 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. The mean ($72,770) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,820 wide, against $29,450 across Minnesota and $29,140 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $47,550 | $3,962 | $22.86 | $61,355 |
| 25th percentile | $62,490 | $5,208 | $30.04 | $80,632 |
| Median | $72,940 | $6,078 | $35.07 | $94,116 |
| 75th percentile | $80,310 | $6,692 | $38.61 | $103,626 |
| 90th percentile | $101,270 | $8,439 | $48.69 | $130,671 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,370 a year in pay and about $9,510 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $10,450 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 Rochester, and the Minnesota statewide median of $76,440 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
At the $72,940 median, a local hire costs about $94,116 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,176 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 Rochester
Of the 14 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between executive assistants ($82,230) and sales development representatives ($67,040). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,270.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +13.8% | 320 | |
| Executive Assistant | +12.7% | 150 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 940 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -8.1% | 450 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -12.9% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #9 of the 14 roles we track in Rochester (+4.9%), between customer support specialists (+5.1%) and project coordinators (+3.9%). The typical role here is at +5.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 12.5% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Rochester, 7.9% across Minnesota and 9.8% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 3 areas in Minnesota with more office managers than Rochester, 1 pays less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($66,180).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +7.5% | 14,480 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 960 | |
| Rochester, MN | this area | 940 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -1.6% | 820 | |
| Mankato, MN | -2.2% | 360 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -7.2% | 680 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -9.3% | 1,510 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #254 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 Minnesota, Midland and Yakima pay just above Rochester and Philadelphia-Camden and Syracuse just below. All four are within $320 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | +0.2% | 880 | pay | |
| Midland, TX | +0.0% | 1,100 | pay | |
| Rochester, MN | this area | 940 | ||
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -0.3% | 28,900 | pay | |
| Syracuse, NY | -0.4% | 2,510 | pay | |
| St. George, UT | -14.3% | 950 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | -15.5% | 930 | jobs | |
| Ocala, FL | -18.8% | 950 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Rochester, MN?
About $94,116 a year at the median, or $7,843 a month: $72,940 in pay plus about $21,176 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in Rochester?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $72,940 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,550, the 90th $101,270, and the middle half earned $62,490 to $80,310.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $72,940 against $76,440 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $73,490, the next down St. Cloud at $71,790.
How many office managers work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 940 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Minnesota total of 21,690. 3 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 960.
Does an office manager cost more than a sales development representative in Rochester?
Yes: $5,900 a year more at the median. The medians are $72,940 and $67,040.
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.