Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary in Columbus, OH
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $46,220 a year — 1% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $38,829 take-home, or $3,236 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,366
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,866
- Medicare (1.45%)$670
- Ohio income tax$489
- Take-home pay$38,829
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $1,156 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $37,674 ($3,139 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 →
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by experience in Columbus, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $37,960 | $18.25 | $32,419 | $2,702 |
| 25th percentile | $39,520 | $19.00 | $33,630 | $2,802 |
| Median (50th) | $46,220 | $22.22 | $38,829 | $3,236 |
| 75th percentile | $47,960 | $23.06 | $40,179 | $3,348 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $54,840 | $26.37 | $45,518 | $3,793 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $46,220 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 medical secretary and administrative assistant's $38,829 take-home pay has the buying power of $40,672 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant jobs are less concentrated in Columbus, OH than nationally (location quotient 0.80), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, adjusted for cost of living
Columbus, OH ranks #9 of 69 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $69,350 | $54,380 | $49,247 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,350 | $50,671 | $45,595 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $57,730 | $46,302 | $43,407 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $61,330 | $48,932 | $42,324 |
| 5 | Winston, NC | $46,370 | $38,097 | $41,390 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $45,920 | $38,596 | $41,094 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,310 | $39,127 | $40,950 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $46,180 | $38,798 | $40,682 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $46,220 | $38,829 | $40,672 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 69 metros →
About the job: medical secretaries and administrative assistants
Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +4.8% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant salaries elsewhere in Ohio
- Cleveland, OH — $45,920
- Cincinnati, OH — $46,180
Frequently asked questions
How much does a medical secretary and administrative assistant make in Columbus, OH?
The median medical secretary and administrative assistant salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $46,220 a year, or about $22.22 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,520 and $47,960.
What is a medical secretary and administrative assistant’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?
On the median $46,220 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $38,829 a year ($3,236 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $489 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a medical secretary and administrative assistant?
Pay here is 1% above the national median of $45,930. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $40,672 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #9 of 69 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a medical secretary and 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) — 36% of a median medical secretary and administrative assistant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Columbus, OH
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $75,880
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $66,970
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $59,530
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $51,170
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $47,870
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $47,320
- Customer Service Representative — $46,350
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks — $46,290
- Office Clerks, General — $44,830
- Receptionist and Information Clerk — $36,910