Columbus, OH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Columbus, OH?

In the Columbus, OH metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $137,810 a year ($66.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,960 of these jobs there. That is 168% above the $51,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $79,510 and $235,150; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Ohio tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $102,106 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Columbus, OH at a glance

Median salary

$137,810$66.25 per hour · $11,484 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$79,510$38.23/hr
25th percentile$101,100$48.61/hr
75th percentile$186,870$89.84/hr
90th percentile$235,150$113.05/hr
Jobs in this metro4,960Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here168% aboveAll-jobs median $51,340
Against Ohio5% aboveStatewide median $131,020
Against the U.S.14% belowNational median $159,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Lawyer salary in Columbus, OH after taxes

$137,810
$55,000$280,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$137,810
Net 74%
Fed 16%
OH 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$102,106After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,509Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,927Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate25.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$21,808 / yr
Ohio state income tax$3,353 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$10,542 / yr

Lawyers pay range in Columbus, OH, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Columbus, OH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the Columbus, OH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OH)
10th percentile$38.23/hr$6,626$79,510$63,022
25th percentile$48.61/hr$8,425$101,100$77,610
MedianMedian$66.25/hr$11,484$137,810$102,106
75th percentile$89.84/hr$15,573$186,870$134,436
90th percentile$113.05/hr$19,596$235,150$167,403

Is $137,810 a good salary in Columbus, OH?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers next to both.

Median household income$81,945Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.54.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household168.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Lawyer pay in Columbus, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Columbus, OH?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Columbus, OH metro area was $137,810 in May 2025, about $11,484 a month or $66.25 an hour. Statewide, the Ohio median for this job is $131,020, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Columbus, OH?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Columbus, OH was $66.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $38.23 an hour and one in ten earned more than $113.05.

How many lawyers work in Columbus, OH?

BLS estimated 4,960 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.93 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Columbus, OH?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Columbus, OH run from $79,510 at the 10th percentile to $101,100 at the 25th, $186,870 at the 75th, and $235,150 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Columbus, OH?

On a median gross salary of $137,810, an estimated $102,106 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,927 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Ohio in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $35,704 (an effective rate of 25.9%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Columbus, OH?

On the median annual salary of $137,810, gross monthly income is $11,484. After federal, FICA, and Ohio state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,509 per month (or $3,927 every two weeks).

Is $137,810 a good salary in Columbus, OH?

At $137,810, the median salary for lawyers is 168.2% of the Columbus, OH median household income ($81,945). It is 168% above the $51,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.5, so prices here run 4.5% below the U.S. average.