Cost of hiring in Columbus, IN
BLS counts about 3,430 people in these 14 roles in Columbus1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($91,510 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,560), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 600 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Columbus
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.6% | 600 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -5.3% | 60 | |
| Accountant | -5.9% | 330 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.4% | 240 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.6% | 220 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.9% | 360 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -8.3% | 390 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -9.8% | 240 | |
| Project Coordinator | -10.6% | 140 | |
| Office Manager | -10.9% | 230 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -15.7% | 180 | |
| Recruiter | -17.9% | 340 | |
| Paralegal | -19.7% | 50 | |
| Executive Assistant | -20.3% | 50 |
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 $42,700 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $55,097 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Columbus against the US
Columbus pays below the US median for all 14 roles. The gap is smallest for customer support specialists (-4.6%) and payroll specialists (-5.3%) and largest for executive assistants (-20.3%). The middle gap across all 14 is -9.0%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for sales development representatives, #137 of 520 areas by median pay; its lowest is for recruiters, #394 of 521.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Columbus has more medical administrative assistants (11.4% of these jobs here, against 6.2% nationally) and payroll specialists (1.7% against 1.0%), and fewer executive assistants (1.5% against 3.0%) and paralegals (1.5% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Lewiston, ID-WA is nearest, at -9.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka, KS | -8.8% | 17 | 14,100 |
| Dover, DE | -8.9% | 16 | 6,780 |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -8.9% | 17 | 59,940 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -9.0% | 15 | 3,510 |
| Columbus, IN | -9.0% (this area) | 14 | 3,430 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | -9.1% | 13 | 2,320 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Columbus span $37,530–$126,480, the widest band (3.4×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $35,780–$53,840. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 11 of 14 roles, recruiters most ($47,180–$128,720 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, paralegals and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($75,150 against a $63,150 median for sales development representatives).
Columbus against Indiana
Against Indiana as a whole, Columbus pays more for 4 of 14 roles, led by marketing specialists (+4.2%) and executive assistants (+3.4%), and less for 9, most of all paralegals (-11.5%). It has the highest median in Indiana for marketing specialists.
Other areas in Indiana
By jobs in these roles, Columbus is #13 of 15 areas in Indiana. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Evansville to Kokomo.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Evansville, IN | 11,260 | 17 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 11,080 | 17 |
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | 10,260 | 17 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 8,730 | 17 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 7,470 | 16 |
| Bloomington, IN | 5,840 | 16 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 4,500 | 16 |
| Muncie, IN | 3,740 | 15 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 2,700 | 15 |
| Kokomo, IN | 2,140 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Columbus?
Of the 14 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $91,510 a year, about $118,077 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,560.
Is hiring in Columbus cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 14 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for executive assistants (-20.3%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.