Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in Columbus, OH
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $47,870 a year — 1% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $40,109 take-home, or $3,342 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,564
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,968
- Medicare (1.45%)$694
- Ohio income tax$534
- Take-home pay$40,109
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $1,197 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $38,913 ($3,243 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 →
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay by experience in Columbus, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,040 | $16.37 | $29,377 | $2,448 |
| 25th percentile | $39,460 | $18.97 | $33,583 | $2,799 |
| Median (50th) | $47,870 | $23.01 | $40,109 | $3,342 |
| 75th percentile | $55,680 | $26.77 | $46,170 | $3,848 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $63,190 | $30.38 | $51,998 | $4,333 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $47,870 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive's $40,109 take-home pay has the buying power of $42,013 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs are less concentrated in Columbus, OH than nationally (location quotient 0.79), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, adjusted for cost of living
Columbus, OH ranks #18 of 111 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $63,800 | $51,497 | $49,252 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $60,230 | $50,575 | $45,508 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $62,940 | $50,108 | $45,378 |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | $55,940 | $45,535 | $44,319 |
| 5 | Bridgeport, CT | $57,440 | $46,673 | $43,675 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $59,330 | $47,105 | $43,509 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $51,410 | $42,007 | $43,178 |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | $49,000 | $41,552 | $43,131 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $47,870 | $40,109 | $42,013 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 111 metros →
About the job: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -6.0% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salaries elsewhere in Ohio
- Toledo, OH — $46,780
- Cincinnati, OH — $47,850
- Dayton, OH — $46,310
- Akron, OH — $46,140
- Cleveland, OH — $46,120
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive make in Columbus, OH?
The median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $47,870 a year, or about $23.01 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,460 and $55,680.
What is a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?
On the median $47,870 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $40,109 a year ($3,342 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $534 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?
Pay here is 1% above the national median of $47,540. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $42,013 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #18 of 111 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive 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) — 35% of a median secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive’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
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $47,320
- Customer Service Representative — $46,350
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks — $46,290
- Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $46,220
- Office Clerks, General — $44,830
- Receptionist and Information Clerk — $36,910