Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
1 / 34#34. Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare
- Median annual wage: $47,080
- Median hourly wage: $22.64
- Total employment: 700 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying management jobs for people in Columbus
Managers are the glue holding companies and organizations together. At the executive level, managers are responsible for overall strategy and improving the bottom line. At lower levels, managers make decisions, build relationships, help customers, and lead teams to complete projects.
Effective managers need a wide array of skills. They must be versatile enough to adapt to new initiatives, market changes, and technology. Good communication is also essential to work with customers and team members, and leadership and project management skills drive better results for the organization.
People drawn to this role often enjoy setting goals and working with others to achieve them. Many get satisfaction from mentoring others and helping them grow to the best of their abilities.
As companies grow, more layers of management are often added to streamline productivity and oversee different teams. Depending on a manager's capabilities, teams can range from a few people to 15 or more. However, some companies believe that too much bureaucracy can slow output, leading to managerial cuts. In 2023, managers and executives accounted for half of all layoffs, according to Live Data Technologies. Amazon and United Parcel Service contributed to the trend, eliminating thousands of management jobs in 2024.
Organizational flattening may make headlines, but having a good manager can go a long way toward keeping workers motivated and projects on track. A 2021 Gallup report found that managerial quality is responsible for 70% of a team's engagement level, meaning that the right leader can make a profound impact on an organization.
As vital as managers are, compensation for these jobs varies by industry. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying management jobs in Columbus. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
You may also like: Are home prices going down in Columbus in 2026?
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
2 / 34#33. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $48,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
3 / 34#32. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Median annual wage: $54,780
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
4 / 34#31. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $59,430
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 2,850 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 34#30. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 290 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Columbus by diners
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
6 / 34#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 2,420 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
7 / 34#28. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $79,980
- Median hourly wage: $38.45
- Total employment: 970 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
8 / 34#27. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 370 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
possohh // Shutterstock
9 / 34#26. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $90,570
- Median hourly wage: $43.54
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
10 / 34#25. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $94,390
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Columbus metro area
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
11 / 34#24. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $96,130
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 980 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 34#23. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.36
- Total employment: 1,420 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 34#22. General and operations managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $99,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.97
- Total employment: 27,930 people (25.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
14 / 34#21. Administrative services managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $99,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.97
- Total employment: 1,710 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
15 / 34#20. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,000
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 1,950 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Columbus that require a graduate degree
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
16 / 34#19. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,380
- Median hourly wage: $48.74
- Total employment: 3,000 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
17 / 34#18. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $102,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,850 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 34#17. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $102,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.23
- Total employment: 280 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 34#16. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,630
- Median hourly wage: $51.26
- Total employment: 4,970 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
20 / 34#15. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $106,950
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 1,820 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Columbus
PanuShot // Shutterstock
21 / 34#14. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $108,710
- Median hourly wage: $52.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 34#13. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $117,310
- Median hourly wage: $56.40
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 34#12. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $121,650
- Median hourly wage: $58.49
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 34#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,400
- Median hourly wage: $61.25
- Total employment: 2,110 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 34#10. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,930
- Median hourly wage: $61.50
- Total employment: 570 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the Columbus area by visitors
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
26 / 34#9. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $132,970
- Median hourly wage: $63.93
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
27 / 34#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $133,050
- Median hourly wage: $63.97
- Total employment: 3,870 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 34#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $133,500
- Median hourly wage: $64.18
- Total employment: 2,040 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
29 / 34#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $136,840
- Median hourly wage: $65.79
- Total employment: 5,840 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 34#5. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $137,820
- Median hourly wage: $66.26
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: The highest-value homes in Columbus
fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 34#4. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $143,020
- Median hourly wage: $68.76
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
32 / 34#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $162,410
- Median hourly wage: $78.08
- Total employment: Not available
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
33 / 34#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $166,320
- Median hourly wage: $79.96
- Total employment: 3,460 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 34#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $212,690
- Median hourly wage: $102.26
- Total employment: 970 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
