StateRates

Columbus salaries

The median worker in the Columbus, GA-AL metro area earned $40,780 a year in 2024, about $19.60 an hour. That ranks #346 of the 391 metro areas published here, 17.6% below the national median.

Georgia Alabama

Median pay $40,780 $19.60 per hour
Vs national -17.6% U.S. $49,500
Workers 116,210 wage and salary
Metro rank #346 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Columbus pays 13.3% less than Georgia as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Teachers and Instructors, All Other 5.93× 560 $63,850
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 2.14× 1,820 $74,300
Insurance Sales Agents 1.97× 700 $55,230
Childcare Workers 1.71× 670 $25,030
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 1.67× 790 $51,040
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1.63× 4,660 $23,000
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1.58× 1,410 $35,150
Receptionists and Information Clerks 1.55× 1,120 $31,790
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 1.5× 760 $50,490
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1.47× 1,230 $36,220
Medical Assistants 1.44× 860 $36,730
Managers, All Other 1.37× 650 $110,350

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Columbus
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Computer and Information Systems Managers $155,060 $74.55 350
Financial Managers $133,110 $64.00 370
Pharmacists $129,130 $62.08 320
Nurse Practitioners $118,680 $57.06 410
Software Developers $114,320 $54.96 1,010
Medical and Health Services Managers $113,320 $54.48 410
Managers, All Other $110,350 $53.05 650
Computer Systems Analysts $109,610 $52.70 270
Lawyers $98,460 $47.34 280
Physical Therapists $96,230 $46.26 210
Education Administrators, All Other $95,680 $46.00 320
Computer Occupations, All Other $94,560 $45.46 400
Project Management Specialists $88,590 $42.59 400
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $81,660 $39.26 220
Registered Nurses $79,360 $38.15 2,680
General and Operations Managers $77,670 $37.34 2,250
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $74,300 $35.72 1,820
Logisticians $72,090 $34.66 240
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $68,120 $32.75 200
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $67,560 $32.48 280
Accountants and Auditors $67,420 $32.41 970
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $66,960 $32.19 560
Compliance Officers $65,880 $31.67 330
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $64,690 $31.10 640
Teachers and Instructors, All Other $63,850 n/a 560
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $63,560 $30.56 590
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,480 $30.52 430
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $63,140 $30.36 230
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $62,440 $30.02 220
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $62,410 $30.01 380
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,270 n/a 690
Human Resources Specialists $61,140 $29.40 790
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $60,760 $29.21 580
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $60,600 $29.13 270
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $60,260 n/a 1,330
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $60,180 n/a 240
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $58,970 $28.35 280
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $58,470 $28.11 240
Healthcare Social Workers $58,370 $28.06 210
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $58,300 $28.03 1,130
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $58,030 $27.90 250
Food Service Managers $57,550 $27.67 260
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $57,520 $27.65 310
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $57,060 $27.43 320
Insurance Sales Agents $55,230 $26.55 700
Training and Development Specialists $55,070 $26.48 310
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $54,580 $26.24 430
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $53,780 $25.86 590
Computer User Support Specialists $53,220 $25.59 490
Postal Service Mail Carriers $52,210 $25.10 350
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $51,040 $24.54 790
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $50,490 $24.28 760
Electricians $49,380 $23.74 410
Firefighters $49,260 $23.68 480
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,150 $23.63 1,280
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $48,770 $23.45 420
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $48,600 $23.37 260
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other $48,240 $23.19 240
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $47,590 $22.88 630
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $47,350 $22.76 210

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Columbus by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,660 $23,000 $11.06
Retail Salespersons 3,420 $27,300 $13.13
Cashiers 2,910 $26,530 $12.76
Registered Nurses 2,680 $79,360 $38.15
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,570 $36,240 $17.42
Customer Service Representatives 2,520 $36,680 $17.63
General and Operations Managers 2,250 $77,670 $37.34
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,030 $31,570 $15.18
Office Clerks, General 1,890 $36,350 $17.47
Waiters and Waitresses 1,870 $17,490 $8.41
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1,820 $74,300 $35.72
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,490 $29,150 $14.02
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,430 $36,790 $17.69
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1,410 $35,150 $16.90
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 1,370 $27,750 $13.34
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,360 $38,740 $18.63
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,330 $60,260 n/a
Security Guards 1,280 $36,730 $17.66
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,280 $49,150 $23.63
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1,230 $36,220 $17.41

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Georgia metro areas

Columbus pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Columbus?

The median across all occupations is $40,780, or $19.60 an hour, covering 116,210 wage and salary workers. The mean is $54,460, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Columbus pay more than the rest of Georgia?

No. The metro median of $40,780 is 13.3% below the Georgia median of $47,020. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Columbus?

Computer and Information Systems Managers ($155,060), Financial Managers ($133,110), Pharmacists ($129,130). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Columbus unusually full of?

Teachers and Instructors, All Other, at 5.93× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.