Office Manager salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
No other area in Missouri pays office managers more than St. Louis: the median is $68,590 a year1. That is 8.8% above the Missouri statewide median of $63,050, and 1.3% below the US median of $69,500. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#124 of 519). It is the largest market for the job in Missouri: about 9,840 people.
BLS occupation 43-1011, area St. Louis, MO-IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Louis against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $46,470 | $68,590 | $102,860 | |
| Missouri | $42,090 | $63,050 | $100,300 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in St. Louis earns $56,170–$83,780. The top tenth earns $102,860 or more, 2.2 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.3 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $27,610 wide, against $30,230 across Missouri and $29,140 nationally: employers in St. Louis 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 | $46,470 | $3,872 | $22.34 | $59,961 |
| 25th percentile | $56,170 | $4,681 | $27.00 | $72,477 |
| Median | $68,590 | $5,716 | $32.98 | $88,503 |
| 75th percentile | $83,780 | $6,982 | $40.28 | $108,103 |
| 90th percentile | $102,860 | $8,572 | $49.45 | $132,723 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $12,420 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $15,190, or about $19,600 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 St. Louis, and the Missouri statewide median of $63,050 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in St. Louis
At the $68,590 median, a local hire costs about $88,503 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,913 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 St. Louis
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($71,670) and executive assistants ($63,500). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,510.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +8.1% | 6,980 | |
| Recruiter | +4.5% | 8,130 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 9,840 | |
| Executive Assistant | -7.4% | 3,990 | |
| Paralegal | -9.7% | 4,030 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis (-1.3%), between medical administrative assistants (-0.7%) and bookkeepers (-1.4%). The typical role here is at -2.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 7.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Louis, 8.0% across Missouri and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $47,020 in the North Missouri nonmetro area to $68,590 in St. Louis, a gap of $21,570 a year. No other area in Missouri has as many office managers, and all 11 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 9,840 | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | -2.6% | 8,860 | |
| Columbia, MO | -10.1% | 930 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -11.0% | 360 | |
| Springfield, MO | -11.7% | 1,660 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | -14.4% | 320 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -17.2% | 590 |
St. Louis against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Louis is #28 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Missouri, Bozeman and Anchorage pay just above St. Louis and Durham-Chapel Hill and Grand Forks just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in St. Louis. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | +4.8% | 9,820 | jobs | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | +1.9% | 9,420 | jobs | |
| Anchorage, AK | +0.0% | 3,070 | pay | |
| Bozeman, MT | +0.0% | 530 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 9,840 | ||
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.2% | 2,690 | pay | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | -0.2% | 230 | pay | |
| Columbus, OH | -2.4% | 9,480 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in St. Louis, MO-IL?
About $88,503 a year at the median, or $7,375 a month: $68,590 in pay plus about $19,913 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in St. Louis?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $68,590 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,470, the 90th $102,860, and the middle half earned $56,170 to $83,780.
Is St. Louis the most expensive area in Missouri for office managers?
Yes. Its median of $68,590 is the highest of 12 areas in Missouri. Kansas City comes next at $66,780.
How many office managers work in St. Louis?
BLS counts about 9,840 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Missouri has as many.
Does an office manager cost more than an executive assistant in St. Louis?
Yes: $5,090 a year more at the median. The medians are $68,590 and $63,500.
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.