Cost of hiring in Cincinnati, OH-KY
BLS counts about 107,430 people in these 17 roles in Cincinnati1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($95,380 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,250), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 19,410 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Cincinnati
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +3.8% | 19,410 | |
| Paralegal | +2.3% | 1,700 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.7% | 9,670 | |
| Office Manager | +0.5% | 9,420 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +0.5% | 7,140 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.4% | 780 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.4% | 610 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -1.2% | 1,030 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -1.3% | 950 | |
| Bookkeeper | -2.1% | 9,050 | |
| Accountant | -3.6% | 10,050 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.8% | 7,080 | |
| Recruiter | -3.9% | 7,110 | |
| Project Coordinator | -6.8% | 7,080 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -7.3% | 5,560 | |
| Executive Assistant | -7.3% | 1,830 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -14.3% | 8,960 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $46,470 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $59,961 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Cincinnati against the US
Cincinnati pays above the US median for 2 of the 17 roles, most of all for customer support specialists (+3.8%) and paralegals (+2.3%), and below it for 10, furthest for sales development representatives (-14.3%). For administrative assistants, office managers, medical administrative assistants, e-commerce order specialists and HR assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -1.3%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for paralegals, #59 of 506 areas by median pay; its lowest is for virtual receptionists, #324 of 521.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Cincinnati has more e-commerce order specialists (0.7% of these jobs here, against 0.5% nationally) and marketing specialists (6.6% against 5.7%), and fewer executive assistants (1.7% against 2.9%) and paralegals (1.6% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is nearest, at -1.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | -1.1% | 17 | 12,090 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -1.1% | 17 | 56,930 |
| Vineland, NJ | -1.1% | 16 | 4,840 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | -1.1% | 17 | 45,480 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | -1.3% (this area) | 17 | 107,430 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -1.3% | 17 | 81,260 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Cincinnati span $38,440–$120,790, the widest band (3.1×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $37,140–$60,550. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 7 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, accountants and marketing specialists: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($71,380 against a $60,000 median for sales development representatives).
Cincinnati against Ohio
Against Ohio as a whole, Cincinnati pays more for 13 of 17 roles, led by office managers (+8.8%) and paralegals (+6.5%), and less only for virtual receptionists (-1.9%). It has the highest median in Ohio for office managers, paralegals and customer support specialists.
Other areas in Ohio
By jobs in these roles, Cincinnati is #2 of 16 areas in Ohio. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Columbus to the Southern Ohio nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | 107,810 | 17 |
| Cleveland, OH | 101,810 | 17 |
| Akron, OH | 31,320 | 17 |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | 30,580 | 17 |
| Toledo, OH | 23,500 | 17 |
| North Northeastern Ohio (Nonmetro) | 17,530 | 17 |
| West Northwestern Ohio (Nonmetro) | 16,180 | 16 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 13,420 | 17 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 12,130 | 17 |
| Southern Ohio (Nonmetro) | 11,260 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Cincinnati?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $95,380 a year, about $123,071 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,250.
Is hiring in Cincinnati cheaper than the US median?
For 10 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-14.3%). 2 pay more than the US median, led by customer support specialists (+3.8%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.