Office Manager salary in Salem, OR
Budget above the national rate here. The median office manager in Salem earned $75,990 a year in May 20251, 2.3% above the Oregon statewide median of $74,300 and 9.3% above the US median of $69,500. Only 31 of 519 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,190 people in this job here, 10% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $52,030 | $75,990 | $104,600 | |
| Oregon | $49,280 | $74,300 | $102,540 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Salem earns $63,380–$88,550. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $104,600, 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 $25,170 wide, between the figure for Oregon ($24,620) and the US figure ($29,140).
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 | $52,030 | $4,336 | $25.01 | $67,135 |
| 25th percentile | $63,380 | $5,282 | $30.47 | $81,781 |
| Median | $75,990 | $6,332 | $36.53 | $98,052 |
| 75th percentile | $88,550 | $7,379 | $42.57 | $114,258 |
| 90th percentile | $104,600 | $8,717 | $50.29 | $134,968 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,610 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,560, or about $16,206 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 Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $74,300 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salem
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 $22,062 to the $75,990 median and brings it to $98,052 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 Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Salem, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($80,270) and executive assistants ($70,320). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,730.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +15.1% | 1,510 | |
| Recruiter | +5.6% | 1,070 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 1,190 | |
| Executive Assistant | -7.5% | 800 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -15.6% | 590 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Salem (+9.3%), between data entry specialists (+9.6%) and bookkeepers (+7.4%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 6.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 6.4% across Oregon and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $64,990 in the Coast Oregon nonmetro area to $76,380 in Portland-Vancouver, a gap of $11,390 a year. The one area in Oregon with more office managers, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($76,380), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +0.5% | 7,740 | |
| Bend, OR | +0.0% | 670 | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,190 | |
| Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro) | -3.0% | 490 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -5.9% | 1,040 | |
| Corvallis, OR | -7.6% | 260 | |
| Grants Pass, OR | -8.4% | 180 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #198 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 Oregon, San Diego-Chula Vista and Mount Vernon-Anacortes pay just above Salem and Walla Walla and Kennewick-Richland just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +3.0% | 1,210 | jobs | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +0.3% | 490 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +0.2% | 11,780 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,190 | ||
| Walla Walla, WA | -0.3% | 230 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.5% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | -19.3% | 1,190 | jobs | |
| Longview, TX | -21.2% | 1,190 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Salem, OR?
About $98,052 a year at the median, or $8,171 a month: $75,990 in pay plus about $22,062 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $75,990 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $52,030, the 90th $104,600, and the middle half earned $63,380 to $88,550.
Is Salem cheaper than the rest of Oregon for office managers?
No, it costs more: a median of $75,990 against $74,300 statewide. The next area up in Oregon is Bend at $76,010, the next down the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area at $73,740.
How many office managers work in Salem?
BLS counts about 1,190 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Oregon total of 12,200. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does an office manager cost more than an executive assistant in Salem?
Yes: $5,670 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,990 and $70,320.
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.