Lawyers Salary
Lawyers in Columbus, OH make a median of $137,810 a year, or about $66.25 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $235K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $144,349 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 17.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $138K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About lawyers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Columbus
Pay for lawyers in Columbus runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $160K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,430/month, 16.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Columbus can be a reasonable trade-off for lawyerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lawyers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $135K | $143K |
| Cincinnati | $131K | $137K |
| Akron | $126K | $135K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $104K | $112K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level lawyers (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $138K. Top earners bring in $235K or more, a $156K spread from bottom to top.
Lawyers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lawyers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $208K | +30% | 91,870 |
| District of Columbia | $195K | +22% | 33,070 |
| California | $195K | +22% | 95,770 |
| Massachusetts | $177K | +11% | 23,560 |
| Delaware | $174K | +9% | 2,920 |
| Colorado | $169K | +6% | 16,720 |
| Virginia | $167K | +5% | 18,580 |
| Connecticut | $164K | +2% | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $161K | +1% | 23,160 |
| Illinois | $161K | +1% | 33,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $157K | -2% | 27,170 |
| Minnesota | $155K | -3% | 12,380 |
| Texas | $154K | -3% | 56,580 |
| Washington | $154K | -3% | 12,770 |
| Nevada | $151K | -6% | 6,490 |
| Alaska | $150K | -6% | 1,120 |
| Maryland | $139K | -13% | 13,810 |
| Rhode Island | $139K | -13% | 1,840 |
| Oregon | $138K | -13% | 7,150 |
| Tennessee | $136K | -15% | 9,010 |
| Georgia | $135K | -16% | 23,930 |
| Arizona | $134K | -16% | 11,640 |
| Missouri | $133K | -16% | 11,560 |
| Florida | $133K | -17% | 55,210 |
| Utah | $133K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Alabama | $132K | -17% | 6,730 |
| Ohio | $131K | -18% | 19,950 |
| Michigan | $131K | -18% | 16,620 |
| North Carolina | $128K | -20% | 17,000 |
| Vermont | $127K | -20% | 1,330 |
| Indiana | $127K | -21% | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $127K | -21% | 9,160 |
| Hawaii | $125K | -22% | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $124K | -23% | 3,550 |
| New Hampshire | $121K | -24% | 2,250 |
| South Carolina | $120K | -25% | 7,890 |
| New Mexico | $120K | -25% | 3,380 |
| Maine | $113K | -29% | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $109K | -32% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $107K | -33% | 1,050 |
| Kansas | $107K | -33% | 4,190 |
| Louisiana | $104K | -35% | 10,200 |
| Montana | $104K | -35% | 2,380 |
| Idaho | $103K | -35% | 2,490 |
| Oklahoma | $103K | -35% | 6,980 |
| West Virginia | $102K | -36% | 2,440 |
| South Dakota | $102K | -36% | 1,360 |
| Kentucky | $102K | -36% | 5,770 |
| Wyoming | $100K | -37% | 900 |
| Arkansas | $99K | -38% | 3,430 |
| Mississippi | $92K | -43% | 3,100 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track lawyers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $138K, rent takes 16.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for lawyers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lawyers typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,771/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is lawyer a high-paying job in Columbus?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $138K here vs. $160K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for lawyers?
Columbus pays $138K median vs. the U.S. average of $160K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $144K — below the national median.
How much do lawyers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $137,810 a year, that works out to about $66 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,510, and experienced lawyers can clear $235,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $138K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,463/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 16.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a lawyers salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lawyers salary is worth about $144,349 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lawyers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.