Cost of hiring in Columbus, OH
BLS counts about 107,810 people in these 17 roles in Columbus1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($98,660 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($36,910), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 18,550 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +5.4% | 810 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +3.5% | 18,550 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.8% | 650 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +1.3% | 1,200 | |
| Bookkeeper | +1.0% | 9,000 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.7% | 9,570 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +0.6% | 5,490 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.2% | 530 | |
| Recruiter | -0.7% | 7,740 | |
| Executive Assistant | -0.9% | 3,250 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.2% | 5,880 | |
| Accountant | -2.4% | 11,410 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.9% | 5,960 | |
| Project Coordinator | -3.6% | 7,680 | |
| Office Manager | -3.6% | 9,480 | |
| Paralegal | -3.9% | 2,260 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -15.1% | 8,350 |
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 $46,350 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $59,806 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Columbus against the US
Columbus pays above the US median for 4 of the 17 roles, most of all for data entry specialists (+5.4%) and customer support specialists (+3.5%), and below it for 7, furthest for sales development representatives (-15.1%). For bookkeepers, administrative assistants, medical administrative assistants, HR assistants, recruiters and executive assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -0.7%: overall, pay here is close to the US level. Its best national standing is for marketing specialists, #52 of 516 areas by median pay; its lowest is for sales development representatives, #263 of 520.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Columbus has more e-commerce order specialists (0.6% of these jobs here, against 0.5% nationally) and recruiters (7.2% against 5.8%), and fewer administrative assistants (8.9% against 10.8%) and medical administrative assistants (5.1% against 6.1%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Corvallis, OR is nearest, at -0.6%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -0.4% | 17 | 266,470 |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -0.4% | 17 | 180,750 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | -0.5% | 17 | 14,740 |
| Corvallis, OR | -0.6% | 15 | 3,490 |
| Columbus, OH | -0.7% (this area) | 17 | 107,810 |
| El Centro, CA | -0.9% | 16 | 3,630 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Columbus span $35,760–$130,000, the widest band (3.6×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $37,960–$54,840. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 17 roles, medical administrative assistants most ($35,930–$60,530 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, accountants and paralegals: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($72,980 against a $59,390 median for sales development representatives).
Columbus against Ohio
Against Ohio as a whole, Columbus pays more for 15 of 17 roles, led by executive assistants (+9.0%) and data entry specialists (+8.3%). It has the highest median in Ohio for project coordinators, accountants and marketing specialists and 7 more roles.
Other areas in Ohio
By jobs in these roles, Columbus is #1 of 16 areas in Ohio. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Cincinnati to the Southern Ohio nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | 107,430 | 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 Columbus?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $98,660 a year, about $127,303 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $36,910.
Is hiring in Columbus cheaper than the US median?
For 7 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-15.1%). 4 pay more than the US median, led by data entry specialists (+5.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.