Office managers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time office managers in the UK earned a median £38,630 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): almost exactly the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 148th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £25,401; one in ten paid over £62,480.
Median full-time pay: women £36,274 a year, men £45,015 a year.
About 79% of the roughly 215,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 21.6%, from £31,759, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 155,000 people in this line of work, 21% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,401 | £527.10 | £14.00 | £14,924 | £316.50 | £13.26 |
| 20th percentile | £29,938 | £598.80 | £15.63 | £23,850 | £480.80 | £14.87 |
| 25th percentile | £31,205 | £629.10 | £16.35 | £25,607 | £525.20 | £15.51 |
| 30th percentile | £32,550 | £652.10 | £17.10 | £28,000 | £574.40 | £16.15 |
| 40th percentile | £35,269 | £700.00 | £18.40 | £31,709 | £638.50 | £17.59 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,630 | £766.60 | £20.13 | £35,000 | £690.00 | £19.17 |
| 60th percentile | £43,144 | £842.20 | £22.01 | £38,577 | £766.60 | £21.23 |
| 70th percentile | £47,808 | £925.70 | £24.41 | £44,122 | £861.70 | £23.43 |
| 75th percentile | £50,494 | £971.80 | £25.56 | £47,154 | £915.20 | £24.74 |
| 80th percentile | £53,090 | £1,029.60 | £27.01 | £50,356 | £972.00 | £26.12 |
| 90th percentile | £62,480* | £1,192.20 | £31.81 | £58,804 | £1,140.10 | £31.28 |
| Mean | £42,181 | £825.70 | £21.72 | £37,236 | £731.70 | £21.25 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £31,759 | £613.30 | £16.17 | £29,233 | £569.10 | 196 |
| 2022 revised | £32,714 | £645.00 | £16.99 | £29,847 | £594.10 | 174 |
| 2023 revised | £34,992 | £689.90 | £18.11 | £31,626 | £622.90 | 188 |
| 2024 revised | £37,403 | £732.10 | £19.14 | £33,948 | £670.80 | 195 |
| 2025 provisional | £38,630 | £766.60 | £20.13 | £35,000 | £690.00 | 215 |
Office managers by region
UK: 155,000 (± 15,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 3 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 32,800* | ± 7,200 |
| East of England | 21,400* | ± 6,300 |
| South West | 13,800* | ± 4,200 |
| North West | 13,300* | ± 4,400 |
| West Midlands | 11,800* | ± 4,500 |
| East Midlands | 11,600* | ± 4,500 |
| Scotland | 11,500* | ± 3,900 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 10,100* | ± 3,700 |
| North East | 6,400* | ± 2,500 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What office managers do
Office managers plan, organise and co-ordinate the activities and resources of offices within commercial, industrial and other non-governmental organisations and public agencies. (National and local government office managers are classified to unit group 3561: Public services associate professionals.) (ONS SOC 2020, 4141)
Also covers: business support manager, office manager, practice manager, sales administration manager, sales office manager, admin manager, booking manager, branch manager, copyright manager, court manager, district manager, document manager, documentation manager, mailroom manager, records manager, registry manager, reprographics manager and telephone manager (33 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Plans work schedules, assigns tasks and delegates responsibilities
- Advises on the handling of all correspondence and enquiries relating to accounts, sales, statistical and vacancy records
- Ensures that procedures for considering, issuing, amending and endorsing insurance policies are adhered to
- Plans, organises and co-ordinates the activities and resources of other offices not elsewhere classified including box offices, other ticket offices and accommodation bureaux
Some employers may require A-level or equivalent qualifications, although entry will usually be possible with GCSEs/S grades, other academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Professional qualifications are available in some areas of work.
Related
Administrative occupations: office managers and supervisors (median £37,244) · Office supervisors · Customer service managers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026