Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant Salary in Columbus, OH

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $75,880 a year — 1% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $60,907 take-home, or $5,076 a month.

Median salary
$75,880
$36.48 per hour
Typical range
$52,580 – $108,080
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Columbus, OH
3,250
0.99× national concentration
▲7.9%
Pay trend: The median for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Columbus, OH rose from $70,350 (May 2024) to $75,880 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 5.5%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median executive secretary and executive administrative assistant salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant in Columbus, OH
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$60,907
per year · effective tax rate 19.7%
$5,076Monthly
$2,538Twice a month
$2,343Every 2 weeks
$29.28Hourly
  • Federal income tax$7,864
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,705
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,100
  • Ohio income tax$1,304
  • Take-home pay$60,907

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 2.75% state

Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $1,897 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $59,010 ($4,918 a month). Choose “Columbus” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant pay by experience in Columbus, OH

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$52,580$25.28$43,764$3,647
25th percentile$64,400$30.96$52,937$4,411
Median (50th)$75,880$36.48$60,907$5,076
75th percentile$94,330$45.35$73,379$6,115
90th percentile (top earners)$108,080$51.96$82,674$6,890

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $75,880 buys in Columbus, OH

Prices in Columbus, OH are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 12% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median executive secretary and executive administrative assistant's $60,907 take-home pay has the buying power of $63,798 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,179
23% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,416
28% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,897
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant jobs are about as common in Columbus, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.99).

Best-paying cities for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living

Columbus, OH ranks #4 of 35 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $106,220$76,526$69,303
2San Francisco, CA $105,190$75,911$65,659
3Charlotte, NC $79,900$62,360$64,059
4Columbus, OH $75,880$60,907$63,798
5Dallas, TX $80,230$65,272$63,315
6Nashville, TN $73,700$60,678$62,984
7Houston, TX $74,850$61,487$62,342
8Washington, DC $90,320$67,661$62,141

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 35 metros →

About the job: executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
0.0% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a executive secretary and executive administrative assistant make in Columbus, OH?

The median executive secretary and executive administrative assistant salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $75,880 a year, or about $36.48 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $64,400 and $94,330.

What is a executive secretary and executive administrative assistant’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?

On the median $75,880 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $60,907 a year ($5,076 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,304 in Ohio taxes in 2026.

Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a executive secretary and executive administrative assistant?

Pay here is 1% below the national median of $76,590. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $63,798 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #4 of 35 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a executive secretary and executive administrative assistant afford rent in Columbus, OH?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Columbus, OH is $1,179 a month ($1,416 for two bedrooms) — 23% of a median executive secretary and executive administrative assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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