Office Manager salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays office managers less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $76,320 a year1: 1.6% below the California statewide median of $77,590 and 9.8% above the US median of $69,500. Nationally that is #27 of 519 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,730 office managers work here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $52,910 | $76,320 | $105,580 | |
| California | $50,870 | $77,590 | $121,650 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma earns $62,730–$90,840. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $105,580, 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 $28,110 wide, against $34,420 across California and $29,140 nationally: employers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma 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 | $52,910 | $4,409 | $25.44 | $68,271 |
| 25th percentile | $62,730 | $5,228 | $30.16 | $80,942 |
| Median | $76,320 | $6,360 | $36.69 | $98,477 |
| 75th percentile | $90,840 | $7,570 | $43.67 | $117,213 |
| 90th percentile | $105,580 | $8,798 | $50.76 | $136,232 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,590 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $14,520, or about $18,735 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, and the California statewide median of $77,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
At the $76,320 median, a local hire costs about $98,477 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,157 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between paralegals ($78,160) and payroll specialists ($68,870). Project Coordinator is the highest at $107,340.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +3.3% | 960 | |
| Paralegal | +2.4% | 290 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 1,730 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -9.8% | 300 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -12.4% | 1,330 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma (+9.8%), between accountants (+13.2%) and recruiters (+7.4%). The typical role here is at +15.7%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost less in Santa Rosa-Petaluma than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 9.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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 10 areas in California with more office managers than Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 6 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($73,640), San Diego-Chula Vista, CA ($76,120) and Fresno, CA ($71,820).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +1.4% | 860 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.3% | 9,190 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.1% | 1,440 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 1,730 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -0.3% | 11,780 | |
| Modesto, CA | -2.9% | 1,490 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | -2.9% | 2,190 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma is #133 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, Portland-Vancouver and Washington-Arlington pay just above Santa Rosa-Petaluma and Austin-Round Rock and Mount Vernon-Anacortes just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Santa Rosa-Petaluma. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | +0.1% | 23,390 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +0.1% | 7,740 | pay | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 1,730 | ||
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | -0.1% | 17,400 | pay | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.2% | 490 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -6.1% | 1,790 | jobs | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | -16.5% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Montgomery, AL | -21.3% | 1,690 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
About $98,477 a year at the median, or $8,206 a month: $76,320 in pay plus about $22,157 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $76,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $52,910, the 90th $105,580, and the middle half earned $62,730 to $90,840.
Is Santa Rosa-Petaluma cheaper than the rest of California for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $76,320 against $77,590 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at $76,370, the next down San Diego-Chula Vista at $76,120.
How many office managers work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
BLS counts about 1,730 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 149,230. 10 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Stockton-Lodi, with about 2,190.
Does an office manager cost more than a payroll specialist in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Yes: $7,450 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,320 and $68,870.
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.