High paying entry level jobs in Columbus, IN

These occupations in Columbus, IN ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Columbus, IN run 7.0% below the national average (2024), so a Columbus, IN salary is worth about 1.08× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Columbus, IN

OccupationMedian, Columbus, IN · Employed

1Pharmacists$137,330
Doctoral or professional degree
$89,630 – $154,95050
2Mechanical Engineers$127,700
Bachelor's degree
$86,480 – $162,3701,000
3Nurse Practitioners$125,780
Master's degree
$98,290 – $172,600170
4Physician Assistants$124,460
Master's degree
$107,810 – $170,61060
5Chemical Engineers$109,190
Bachelor's degree
$105,880 – $121,75040
6Lawyers$105,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$70,710 – $279,78070
7Software Developers$104,880
Bachelor's degree
$80,000 – $137,340280
8Computer Systems Analysts$103,800
Bachelor's degree
$60,600 – $145,720130
9Logisticians$100,720
Bachelor's degree
$64,360 – $130,090280
10Electrical Engineers$99,960
Bachelor's degree
$73,830 – $134,14070
11Industrial Engineers$97,480
Bachelor's degree
$80,590 – $160,210910
12Physical Therapists$96,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,810 – $130,42090
13Data Scientists$94,700
Bachelor's degree
$59,840 – $142,31040
14Project Management Specialists$91,510
Bachelor's degree
$60,330 – $142,790140
15Financial and Investment Analysts$91,040
Bachelor's degree
$62,840 – $124,95040
16Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$87,920
Bachelor's degree
$47,580 – $125,00060
17Network and Computer Systems Administrators$86,050
Bachelor's degree
$62,950 – $118,97050
18Business Operations Specialists, All Other$85,460
Bachelor's degree
$43,280 – $122,720110
19Dental Hygienists$84,810
Associate's degree
$63,320 – $102,69070
20Computer Occupations, All Other$83,830
Bachelor's degree
$28,220 – $124,66050
21Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$82,460
Associate's degree
$38,640 – $123,010130
22Accountants and Auditors$78,740
Bachelor's degree
$51,370 – $121,120330
23Registered Nurses$77,030
Bachelor's degree
$61,840 – $94,970640
24Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$66,390
Bachelor's degree
$40,830 – $134,360180
25Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$64,020
Associate's degree
$40,040 – $77,87090
26Public Relations Specialists$62,770
Bachelor's degree
$34,640 – $92,93030
27Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$62,400
Postsecondary nondegree award
$49,460 – $71,610170
28Human Resources Specialists$62,330
Bachelor's degree
$43,310 – $100,800340
29Mechanical Drafters$61,730
Associate's degree
$48,880 – $104,01040
30Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$61,230
Associate's degree
$38,000 – $87,55030
31Physical Therapist Assistants$61,140
Associate's degree
$47,680 – $76,55040
32Paralegals and Legal Assistants$50,500
Associate's degree
$39,590 – $80,49050
33Medical Records Specialists$49,270
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,940 – $77,62050
34Child, Family, and School Social Workers$49,150
Bachelor's degree
$39,240 – $71,440120
35Dental Assistants$47,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,760 – $56,850120
36Medical Assistants$44,580
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,640 – $54,570400
37Nursing Assistants$38,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,850 – $46,170230
38Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$36,640
Associate's degree
$29,240 – $46,460120
39Coaches and Scouts$36,490
Bachelor's degree
$24,570 – $58,57030
40Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$31,300
Postsecondary nondegree award
$25,830 – $48,26040
41Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$31,110
Some college, no degree
$22,420 – $44,440390

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianColumbus, IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$137,330	$89,630 – $154,950	50
2	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$127,700	$86,480 – $162,370	1,000
3	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$125,780	$98,290 – $172,600	170
4	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$124,460	$107,810 – $170,610	60
5	Chemical EngineersBachelor's degree	$109,190	$105,880 – $121,750	40
6	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$105,790	$70,710 – $279,780	70
7	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$104,880	$80,000 – $137,340	280
8	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,800	$60,600 – $145,720	130
9	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$100,720	$64,360 – $130,090	280
10	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$99,960	$73,830 – $134,140	70
11	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$97,480	$80,590 – $160,210	910
12	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$96,400	$73,810 – $130,420	90
13	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$94,700	$59,840 – $142,310	40
14	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$91,510	$60,330 – $142,790	140
15	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$91,040	$62,840 – $124,950	40
16	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$87,920	$47,580 – $125,000	60
17	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$86,050	$62,950 – $118,970	50
18	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$85,460	$43,280 – $122,720	110
19	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$84,810	$63,320 – $102,690	70
20	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$83,830	$28,220 – $124,660	50
21	Mechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$82,460	$38,640 – $123,010	130
22	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$78,740	$51,370 – $121,120	330
23	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$77,030	$61,840 – $94,970	640
24	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$66,390	$40,830 – $134,360	180
25	Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$64,020	$40,040 – $77,870	90
26	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$62,770	$34,640 – $92,930	30
27	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,400	$49,460 – $71,610	170
28	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$62,330	$43,310 – $100,800	340
29	Mechanical DraftersAssociate's degree	$61,730	$48,880 – $104,010	40
30	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$61,230	$38,000 – $87,550	30
31	Physical Therapist AssistantsAssociate's degree	$61,140	$47,680 – $76,550	40
32	Paralegals and Legal AssistantsAssociate's degree	$50,500	$39,590 – $80,490	50
33	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,270	$37,940 – $77,620	50
34	Child, Family, and School Social WorkersBachelor's degree	$49,150	$39,240 – $71,440	120
35	Dental AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,260	$35,760 – $56,850	120
36	Medical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,580	$37,640 – $54,570	400
37	Nursing AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,260	$36,850 – $46,170	230
38	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$36,640	$29,240 – $46,460	120
39	Coaches and ScoutsBachelor's degree	$36,490	$24,570 – $58,570	30
40	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and CosmetologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$31,300	$25,830 – $48,260	40
41	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$31,110	$22,420 – $44,440	390

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Columbus, IN. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Columbus, IN to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Columbus, IN

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