Administrative Assistant salary in Columbus, OH
No other area in Ohio pays administrative assistants more than Columbus: the median is $47,870 a year1. That is 3.5% above the Ohio statewide median of $46,230, and about level with the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#117 of 520). BLS counts about 9,570 people in this job here, 17% of the Ohio total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Columbus, OH. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Columbus against Ohio and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | $34,040 | $47,870 | $63,190 | |
| Ohio | $32,130 | $46,230 | $63,150 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $63,190, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Columbus earns $39,460–$55,680. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,220 wide, between the figure for Ohio ($15,540) and the US figure ($19,170).
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,040 | $2,837 | $16.37 | $43,923 |
| 25th percentile | $39,460 | $3,288 | $18.97 | $50,916 |
| Median | $47,870 | $3,989 | $23.01 | $61,768 |
| 75th percentile | $55,680 | $4,640 | $26.77 | $71,845 |
| 90th percentile | $63,190 | $5,266 | $30.38 | $81,535 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,410 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,810, or about $10,077 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 $47,540 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Columbus, and the Ohio statewide median of $46,230 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Columbus
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,898 to the $47,870 median and brings it to $61,768 a year. 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 administrative assistants 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 Columbus
Of the 17 roles we track in Columbus, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($50,700) and e-commerce order specialists ($46,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,660.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +6.9% | 9,000 | |
| HR Assistant | +5.9% | 530 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 9,570 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.8% | 650 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.2% | 18,550 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Columbus (+0.7%), between bookkeepers (+1.0%) and medical administrative assistants (+0.6%). The typical role here is at -0.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 8.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Columbus, 10.7% across Ohio and 10.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Ohio
Across the 16 areas of Ohio with data for this job, the median runs from $41,580 in Youngstown-Warren to $47,870 in Columbus, a gap of $6,290 a year. All 2 areas in Ohio with more administrative assistants than Columbus pay less, among them Cleveland, OH ($46,120) and Cincinnati, OH-KY ($47,850).
| Area | Median | vs Columbus | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | this area | 9,570 | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | -0.0% | 9,670 | |
| Toledo, OH | -2.3% | 3,100 | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -3.3% | 3,640 | |
| Akron, OH | -3.6% | 3,360 | |
| Cleveland, OH | -3.7% | 10,450 | |
| Sandusky, OH | -6.8% | 520 |
Columbus against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Columbus is #35 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Ohio, Salt Lake City-Murray and Grand Forks pay just above Columbus and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie and Fairbanks-College just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Columbus. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Columbus | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +14.9% | 8,450 | jobs | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | +0.1% | 750 | pay | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | +0.1% | 6,670 | pay | |
| Columbus, OH | this area | 9,570 | ||
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.0% | 3,620 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | -0.0% | 630 | pay | |
| Albuquerque, NM | -1.9% | 11,020 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | -6.9% | 10,900 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Columbus, OH?
About $61,768 a year at the median, or $5,147 a month: $47,870 in pay plus about $13,898 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Columbus?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,870 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,040, the 90th $63,190, and the middle half earned $39,460 to $55,680.
Is Columbus the most expensive area in Ohio for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $47,870 is the highest of 16 areas in Ohio. Cincinnati comes next at $47,850.
How many administrative assistants work in Columbus?
BLS counts about 9,570 in the May 2025 survey. That is 17% of the Ohio total of 54,790. Only Cleveland and Cincinnati have more in Ohio.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Columbus?
Yes: $880 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,870 and $46,990.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: 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.