StateRates

Columbus salaries

The median worker in the Columbus, OH metro area earned $49,510 a year in 2024, about $23.80 an hour. That ranks #95 of the 391 metro areas published here, 0% above the national median.

Ohio

Median pay $49,510 $23.80 per hour
Vs national 0% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,085,150 wage and salary
Metro rank #95 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Columbus pays 3% more than Ohio 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.

Housing here moved +3.6% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +38.0% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Columbus.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars 2.79× 740 $74,170
Pediatricians, General 2.51× 760 $197,350
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 2.26× 590 $82,800
Credit Analysts 2.21× 1,050 $64,740
Computer Network Support Specialists 2.2× 2,260 $70,900
Coaches and Scouts 2.13× 3,770 $43,620
Financial Examiners 2.08× 920 $76,510
Library Technicians 2.03× 1,050 $37,490
Physicians, All Other 1.95× 4,320 $231,590
Machine Feeders and Offbearers 1.95× 640 $59,320
Chemists 1.84× 1,080 $96,700
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School 1.77× 2,030 $63,380

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Columbus
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Physicians, All Other $231,590 $111.34 4,320
Chief Executives $212,690 $102.26 970
Pediatricians, General $197,350 $94.88 760
Computer and Information Systems Managers $166,320 $79.96 3,460
Financial Managers $136,840 $65.79 5,840
Optometrists $134,560 $64.69 300
Pharmacists $133,650 $64.26 2,740
Marketing Managers $133,500 $64.18 2,040
Sales Managers $133,050 $63.97 3,870
Natural Sciences Managers $132,970 $63.93 220
Lawyers $132,810 $63.85 5,060
Database Architects $132,310 $63.61 460
Dentists, General $132,280 $63.60 620
Physician Assistants $130,730 $62.85 850
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $128,220 $61.64 220
Purchasing Managers $127,930 $61.50 570
Veterinarians $127,720 $61.41 690
Managers, All Other $127,400 $61.25 2,110
Nurse Practitioners $127,020 $61.07 2,920
Computer Network Architects $126,850 $60.98 1,230
Aerospace Engineers $122,460 $58.88 350
Training and Development Managers $121,650 $58.49 220
Computer Occupations, All Other $120,640 $58.00 2,180
Information Security Analysts $120,020 $57.70 1,230
Public Relations Managers $117,310 $56.40 260
Software Developers $117,150 $56.32 10,200
Web and Digital Interface Designers $111,410 $53.56 580
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $110,860 $53.30 1,040
Actuaries $110,830 $53.28 290
Operations Research Analysts $109,440 $52.62 700
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $108,460 $52.14 280
Computer Programmers $108,230 $52.04 440
Family Medicine Physicians $107,500 $51.68 510
Industrial Production Managers $106,950 $51.42 1,820
Medical and Health Services Managers $106,630 $51.26 4,970
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $105,910 $50.92 610
Chemical Engineers $103,860 $49.93 230
Engineers, All Other $103,140 $49.59 1,110
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $102,980 $49.51 240
Art Directors $102,960 $49.50 250
Fundraising Managers $102,400 $49.23 280
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $102,340 n/a 1,850
Materials Engineers $102,110 $49.09 260
Physical Therapists $101,390 $48.74 2,020
Construction Managers $101,380 $48.74 3,000
Industrial Engineers $100,730 $48.43 3,470
Computer Systems Analysts $100,700 $48.42 3,780
Project Management Specialists $100,640 $48.38 7,250
Database Administrators $100,550 $48.34 390
Data Scientists $100,480 $48.31 1,160
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $100,000 $48.08 1,950
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $99,960 $48.06 5,230
Electrical Engineers $99,900 $48.03 1,110
General and Operations Managers $99,780 $47.97 27,930
Administrative Services Managers $99,780 $47.97 1,710
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $99,110 $47.65 290
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $99,050 $47.62 3,300
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $98,500 $47.36 1,420
Civil Engineers $97,990 $47.11 2,020
Mechanical Engineers $97,860 $47.05 2,950

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Columbus by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 32,270 $28,940 $13.91
Stockers and Order Fillers 31,630 $38,610 $18.56
General and Operations Managers 27,930 $99,780 $47.97
Registered Nurses 26,790 $82,520 $39.67
Retail Salespersons 25,780 $31,240 $15.02
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 25,540 $31,210 $15.00
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 24,390 $40,190 $19.32
Customer Service Representatives 22,100 $45,760 $22.00
Cashiers 19,300 $29,330 $14.10
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 18,730 $60,370 $29.03
Waiters and Waitresses 15,130 $37,230 $17.90
Office Clerks, General 14,310 $45,190 $21.72
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 14,130 $35,080 $16.87
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 13,300 $45,880 $22.06
Accountants and Auditors 11,790 $79,810 $38.37
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 11,150 $76,940 n/a
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 10,780 $50,440 $24.25
Nursing Assistants 10,270 $39,830 $19.15
Software Developers 10,200 $117,150 $56.32
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 9,670 $64,970 $31.24

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 Ohio metro areas

Columbus pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Columbus?

The median across all occupations is $49,510, or $23.80 an hour, covering 1,085,150 wage and salary workers. The mean is $65,290, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Columbus pay more than the rest of Ohio?

Yes. The metro median of $49,510 is 3% above the Ohio median of $48,060. 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?

Physicians, All Other ($231,590), Chief Executives ($212,690), Pediatricians, General ($197,350). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Columbus unusually full of?

Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars, at 2.79× 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.