Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025
Computer Occupations (Other) Salary in Columbus, OH
Technology · SOC 15-1299 · COL Index 93.1
Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH earn a median salary of $129,940 as of 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $60,150 to $162,930. The mean is $119,760 across approximately 2,410 workers. Adjusted for Columbus, OH's cost-of-living index of 93.1, the median equates to $139,570 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Computer Occupations (Other) in Columbus, OH pays a substantial premium over the national median: $129,940 versus $107,765 nationally, roughly 21% above. The premium reflects local labor demand, cost-of-living adjustment, and industry concentration.
Cost-of-living in Columbus, OH runs below the national baseline (index 93.1). The cost-adjusted purchasing power of $129,940 works out to roughly $139,570 in national-baseline dollars — often higher real income than in high-cost coastal cities at the same gross wage. Wage distribution at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: $88,066, $129,940, $146,435, $162,930. 2,410 Computer Occupations (Other) workers are documented in Columbus, OH per the BLS OEWS survey. The percentile spread is the most useful framing — entry-level pay clusters near p25, mid-career near p50, senior-level near p75-p90.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry Level) | $60,150 | $64,608 |
| 25th Percentile | $88,066 | $94,593 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $129,940 | $139,570 |
| 75th Percentile | $146,435 | $157,288 |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $162,930 | $175,005 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentile for Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH is unusually wide — top earners take home roughly 2.7× what the bottom decile earns. That signals a long career ladder: substantial pay gains accrue with seniority, specialization, and movement to larger employers. Workers entering this role should expect to start near the 25th percentile and target the median by year three to five.
Columbus, OH's cost-of-living index of 93.1 runs below the U.S. average, so a $129,940 salary here has the equivalent purchasing power of about $139,570 in an average-cost metro. Lower nominal pay in markets like this often translates to comparable or better real income than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Columbus, OH ranks #8 of 70 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Occupations (Other) pay — in the top quartile nationally (top 11%). Markets in this band tend to be major regional employer hubs even when they are not the absolute highest-cost cities.
How to Use This in Negotiation
The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $146,435 for Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH — when you have meaningful experience, then bring evidence (years on the job, scope of past work, relevant certifications, comparable offers) to justify why you sit at that point in the distribution. Anchoring on the median when you have 5+ years of experience leaves money on the table; anchoring on the 90th percentile ($162,930) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.
For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($88,066–$129,940) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($129,940–$146,435) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($146,435–$162,930).
For specific scripts and a full negotiation framework, see the data-driven salary negotiation guide. To benchmark your current pay, the salary percentile calculator places any number into the BLS distribution for this role and metro.
How This Salary Is Calculated
Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — a federal survey of about 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The Columbus, OH percentile bands above (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) and the mean are pulled directly from the BLS data file for SOC code 15-1299 in this MSA. The COL-adjusted figure rebases salary to a U.S. national average COL of 100, using a composite index derived from public housing, food, and transportation data. Read the full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Computer Occupations (Other) salary in Columbus, OH?
Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH earn a median salary of $129,940 as of 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. The mean (employment-weighted average) is $119,760 across roughly 2,410 workers in this metro.
What is the salary range for Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH?
Pay ranges from $60,150 at the 10th percentile to $162,930 at the 90th percentile — a $102,780 spread. The 25th-to-75th percentile band ($88,066 to $146,435) is the typical anchor for salary negotiation.
Is $129,940 a good Computer Occupations (Other) salary in Columbus, OH?
$129,940 is the BLS median — half of Computer Occupations (Other)s in Columbus, OH earn more, half earn less. Whether it is "good" depends on your experience: new entrants typically land near the 25th percentile ($88,066), mid-career workers near the median, and senior specialists near or above the 75th percentile ($146,435). Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national average baseline, the median equates to $139,570.
How does Computer Occupations (Other) pay in Columbus, OH compare to other metros?
Columbus, OH ranks #8 of 70 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Occupations (Other) median pay. It sits in the top quartile of U.S. metros for this role.
Where does this Computer Occupations (Other) salary data come from?
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal data covering 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data feeds the U.S. Department of Labor's prevailing wage system used for H-1B and federal contracting wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Columbus, OH MSA, SOC 15-1299, 2025 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2025."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 2,410 Computer Occupations (Other)s tracked in Columbus, OH.