Paramedics Salary
The median pay for a paramedics in Columbus, OH is $47,130/year ($22.66/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $49,366 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 44.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K 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 paramedics
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What this looks like in Columbus
Pay for paramedics in Columbus runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,430/month, which is 43.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for paramedicss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paramedics in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $60K | $64K |
| Cincinnati | $49K | $52K |
| Akron | $52K | $56K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $53K | $57K |
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 paramedics (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Paramedics pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Paramedics salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $104K | +72% | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +43% | 540 |
| Hawaii | $81K | +34% | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $79K | +30% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +28% | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +26% | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $75K | +23% | 1,210 |
| California | $75K | +23% | 5,190 |
| New York | $73K | +21% | 6,110 |
| Alaska | $72K | +19% | 310 |
| Maryland | $67K | +10% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $66K | +9% | 1,860 |
| Utah | $65K | +8% | 960 |
| Delaware | $64K | +6% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +6% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $64K | +6% | 230 |
| Colorado | $64K | +5% | 2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +5% | 160 |
| Maine | $63K | +4% | 470 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +3% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +1% | 4,750 |
| Illinois | $61K | +0% | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $61K | -0% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $60K | -0% | 1,960 |
| Idaho | $60K | -0% | 440 |
| Vermont | $60K | -0% | 190 |
| Indiana | $60K | -0% | 2,680 |
| Florida | $60K | -1% | 6,970 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -1% | 1,990 |
| Nevada | $59K | -2% | 950 |
| Missouri | $59K | -2% | 3,300 |
| Arizona | $59K | -3% | 2,200 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -5% | 3,710 |
| Georgia | $58K | -5% | 3,250 |
| Texas | $58K | -5% | 8,410 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -5% | 5,660 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -7% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -8% | 2,040 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -8% | 810 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -10% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -12% | 2,250 |
| Michigan | $52K | -14% | 2,750 |
| Ohio | $51K | -15% | 3,600 |
| Kansas | $51K | -16% | 1,030 |
| Montana | $51K | -16% | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -17% | 1,170 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -18% | 1,800 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 280 |
| Alabama | $49K | -20% | 1,700 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -20% | 1,090 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -23% | 1,590 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track paramedics salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a paramedic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 43.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for paramedics in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paramedics typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,382/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is paramedic a high-paying job in Columbus?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $47K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for paramedics?
Columbus pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do paramedics make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $47,130 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,700, and experienced paramedics can clear $69,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,277/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 43.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a paramedics 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 paramedics salary is worth about $49,366 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do paramedics 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.