Childcare Worker Salary in Columbus, OH (2026)

Median in Columbus: $14.56/hour ($30,280/year) — $4,700 (13%) below the national median. Typical range: $29,060–$38,420.

BLS OEWS May 2025 · Columbus, OH metro · refreshed 2026-08-25 · Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · U.S. Childcare Worker salary overview

The median Childcare Worker salary in Columbus, OH is $14.56/hour ($30,280/year) ($4,700 (13%) below the national median), with a typical range of $29,060–$38,420. Data from BLS + Jobeezy ghost-filter (2026).

Salary stats
MetricValueSource
Median$14.56/hour ($30,280/year)BLS OEWS May 2025
25th-75th pct$29,060–$38,420BLS OEWS May 2025
Metro employment~2,580BLS OEWS May 2025
### Key facts: Childcare Worker pay in Columbus, OH BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data for Childcare Workers in the Columbus, OH metro. - Median Childcare Worker pay in Columbus, OH: $14.56/hour ($30,280/year) (BLS OEWS May 2025). - That is $4,700 (13%) below the national median (U.S. median $34,980). - 25th-75th percentile band: $29,060–$38,420. - BLS estimated metro employment: ~2,580 jobs.

Childcare Worker pay distribution in Columbus, OH

25th Pct (Columbus) $29,060 $13.97/hr
Median (Columbus) $30,280 $14.56/hr
75th Pct (Columbus) $38,420 $18.47/hr

National median: $34,980/yr. Columbus is $4,700 (13%) below the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — Columbus, OH metro area (SOC 39-9011, Childcare Worker).

What childcare worker pay in Columbus really looks like

At about $14.56 an hour ($30,280 a year), Columbus pays modestly below the national market for childcare workers — $4,700 (13%) under the U.S. median of $34,980. It is a real gap, but a beatable one: the higher end of the local range closes most of it, and a credential or a supervisory step can push a Columbus childcare worker past the national figure without leaving the metro.

The local range is moderate — $29,060 at the 25th percentile to $38,420 at the 75th (BLS). Half of Columbus Childcare Workers earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $38,420 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $29,060 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.

This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 2,580 childcare worker jobs across the Columbus, OH metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.

Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open childcare worker jobs in Columbus against the BLS $30,280 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.

Put it together and the picture for Columbus is concrete: a metro median of $30,280 with most childcare workers landing between $29,060 and $38,420. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local childcare worker openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $38,420, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the Columbus median, not the ones that sit under it.

Childcare Worker pay by hour, week, month & year in Columbus

PeriodTypical Pay
Per hour$14.56
Per week (40 hrs)$582
Per month$2,523
Per year$30,280

How we know this — Columbus sources

Wage figures for Childcare Worker in Columbus, OH are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the Columbus, OH metro area (MSA code 18140) (SOC 39-9011), released 2026-08-25. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.

Grow your childcare worker pay in Columbus

Advancing your pay in Columbus comes down to experience, credentials, and how you negotiate. We keep that guidance on the national Childcare Worker guide so it stays current in one place:

Childcare Worker pay in Columbus, OH — common questions

How much does a Childcare Worker make in Columbus, OH?
The median Childcare Worker salary in Columbus, OH is $14.56/hour ($30,280/year) ($4,700 (13%) below the national median), with a typical range of $29,060–$38,420 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-08-25.
Is Columbus a strong pay market for Childcare Workers?
At a $30,280 median, Columbus is $4,700 (13%) below the national median. The U.S. median is $34,980. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.
How can I earn more as a Childcare Worker in Columbus?
Target employers paying toward the $38,420 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Childcare Worker openings in Columbus and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.
How many Childcare Workers work in Columbus?
BLS estimates roughly 2,580 childcare worker jobs across Columbus, OH (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).