Lawyers pay range in Columbus
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $70,710 a year or less, while the top 10% make $279,780 or more. The middle half of lawyers in Columbus earn between $92,520 and $136,210.
- $71K10th
- $93K25th
- $106KMedian
- $136K75th
- $280K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $149,200 | $12,433 | $71.73 |
| Median | $105,790 | $8,816 | $50.86 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $92,520 | $7,710 | $44.48 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $136,210 | $11,351 | $65.49 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Lawyers salary after taxes in Columbus
On the average salary of $149,200, a single filer in Columbus takes home about $106,205 a year, or $8,850 a month and $4,085 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Columbus's local income tax (1.75%).
Is Columbus a good place for lawyers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Columbus area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.0), so the average $149,200 buys what about $160,425 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbus ($48,470). A typical home costs $277,164, or 1.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Lawyers salary in other Indiana cities
Columbus ranks 3rd of 10 Indiana metro areas for this job; Terre Haute pays the most ($171,300).
- Terre Haute$171,300
- Fort Wayne$169,510
- Columbus$149,200
- Michigan City$147,810
- Evansville$146,730
- Lafayette$136,540
- South Bend$135,950
- Muncie$134,950
- Bloomington$134,940
- Kokomo$132,480
Highest-paying cities for lawyers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($288,980).
- San Jose, CA$288,980
- Santa Rosa, CA$248,950
- Los Angeles, CA$241,500
- San Francisco, CA$237,060
- Bridgeport, CT$231,710
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Lawyers salary in Columbus: questions
How much do lawyers make an hour in Columbus?
$71.73 an hour on average, and $50.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level lawyers salary in Columbus?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $70,710 a year and the 25th percentile is $92,520, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the lawyers take-home pay in Columbus?
About $106,205 a year ($8,850 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $149,200. Includes Columbus's local income tax (1.75%).
Do lawyers earn more in Columbus than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 23-1011; area Columbus, IN (18020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 11.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Columbus's local income tax (1.75%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.28, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.28).
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