SalaryExplorer

SOC 11-9041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Architectural and Engineering Managers — Columbus

Columbus, IN · 10 metro areas compared

$180,830 /year
$86.94per hour
310jobs in area
+5.6%vs US median

The median wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in Columbus, IN is $180,830 per year, close to the national median of $171,270 for the same occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $171,27010TH$129,530MEDIAN$180,83090TH$211,950

How pay has moved

$193,938$115,293201920212022202320242025$180,830
$128,400 in 2019 to $180,830 in 2025, +40.8% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+3.8%
Openings per year
14,500
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
Related work experience
5 years or more

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Columbus, IN.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in Columbus, IN is $180,830 per year, close to the national median of $171,270 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $129,530 at the tenth percentile to more than $211,950 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $175,550 to $211,950.

Employment stands at 310, or 6.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Lafayette leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $177,640. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 2nd of 187 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Columbus, IN · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$129,530−24.4%
25th$175,550+2.5%
Median (50th)$180,830+5.6%
75th$211,950+23.8%
90th$211,950+23.8%
Mean$187,750+9.6%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Indiana

Median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Lafayette$177,640170
2Evansville$163,540240
3Indianapolis$159,6401,740
4Bloomington$157,610110
5Elkhart$150,010250
6South Bend$144,900110
7Fort Wayne$134,010320
8Michigan City$131,76060
9Terre Haute$130,53040
10Muncie$128,37030

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Columbus run 7.0% below the national average, so the median of $180,830 goes as far as $194,441 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.5% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$180,830as reported by BLS

Local price level

93.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$194,441US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $180,830 a year, 5.6% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $129,530 to $211,950 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 310 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Lafayette, at $177,640.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in Columbus, IN?

The median annual wage is $180,830, or $86.94 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $171,270, so pay in Columbus, IN is 5.6% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Columbus, IN earns more than $211,950 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $129,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Lafayette, at $177,640 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 310 jobs in this occupation in Columbus, IN. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.