In Columbus, 23.2% of the 779 job postings we track list a pay range, and the median posted pay is $135,000 a year. 6.3% are remote, 11.3% are entry level, and 27.9% have been open for more than 60 days (data as of October 2026).
What stands out
A $135,000 posted salary in the Columbus area buys about what $141,500 buys in the average US metro area, because prices here run 5% below the national average.
After adjusting for local prices, the typical worker's official median wage ($51,500) is worth $54,000 in average-US dollars, 26th of 99 metro areas.
Housing costs run 12% below the US average here (BEA regional price parities).
The unemployment rate is 3.3%, 0.8 points below the median of the metro areas in this report.
25.7% of open job postings list a pay range, 37th of 99 metro areas.
Columbus compared with similar-sized metro areas: the median wage divided by the local price level (US average prices = 100). Download this chart (SVG)
779open postings from 171 employers
23.2%list a pay range (#44 of 71 published cities)
$135,000median posted pay (middle half: $108,500 to $170,000), from 148 postings with pay
6.3%remote, 0% hybrid
29 daysmedian time a posting has been open; 27.9% over 60 days
$51,500official median wage for all jobs in the metro area (BLS)
11.3%entry-level postings
OH has no statewide law requiring a pay range in job postings.
The metro area's unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2026-08 (4.2% a year earlier) (BLS, not seasonally adjusted). Across Ohio, employers had 287,000 job openings in 2025-12, an openings rate of 4.8% (BLS JOLTS). Indeed's own measure of job postings in the metro area is 12.4% above its February 2020 level and 9.5% higher than a year ago (Indeed Hiring Lab, 2026-10-02).
Posted pay by kind of job in Columbus
Kind of job
Median posted pay
Postings with pay
Software developers
$174,500
11
Sales
$116,000
13
Kinds of job are grouped by title wording. Pay is the midpoint of the range in the posting, annualized for hourly postings.
Who is hiring, by industry
Industry
Postings
Healthcare & Life Sciences
160
Retail & E-commerce
127
Manufacturing & Industrial
100
Energy & Utilities
92
Software & Technology
81
Consulting & Professional Services
57
Real Estate & Construction
46
Financial Services
41
Other
22
Media & Entertainment
20
Education
18
Employers with the most openings
AEP: 71 postings
Abercrombie: 67 postings
Careers Osuphysicians: 45 postings
Pathrobotics: 32 postings
McKesson: 22 postings
What applications ask in Columbus
Among 123 application forms we read: 35% ask applicants for a salary expectation, 78% ask about visa sponsorship, 61% include the equal-opportunity section, and 2.4% carry an AI-use notice. Question wording only; no applicant answers are ever collected.
What your paycheck buys here
Prices in the Columbus, OH area run 5% below the national average, and housing runs 12% below it. The official median wage for all jobs is $51,500, which is worth $54,000 in average-US dollars. The median posted pay of $135,000 is worth $141,500.
Local prices compared with the national average, where 100 is the US average. Download this chart (SVG)Median wages for the ten occupations with the most workers here (worker count in parentheses). Download this chart (SVG)Which industries have the most open postings in our data. Download this chart (SVG)
Postings that list several cities count in each one. This covers employers whose career pages we read, not every job in Columbus. Methodology · All cities (CSV)
