Highest-paying management jobs in Columbus

Not everyone has what it takes to be a manager in today's workplace, and those who do tend to be well compensated.

Workers today are split on how they want to interact with their jobs. Half of workers want to blend their work and their personal lives, while the other roughly 50% prefer to keep them separate, according to Gallup polling. The lion's share want more flexibility in where they perform their work—at a time when businesses may have to buckle in for tougher economic conditions in the year ahead.

Whether overseeing a sales team or leading a commercial building project, these are the challenges that get management professionals out of bed in the morning.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying management jobs in the Columbus metro area using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Jobs the BLS lists as "management occupations" were included.

#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $60,400
- #201 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,690

National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)

#29. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $61,610
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $73,810
- Employment: 17,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($108,680)
--- Lexington-Fayette, KY ($108,430)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($105,390)

#28. Lodging managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $65,140
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)

#27. Social and community service managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $73,270
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 970

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,790
- Employment: 156,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($100,530)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($98,240)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($98,200)

#26. Food service managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $75,470
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,990

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

#25. Postmasters and mail superintendents

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $84,090
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $81,820
- Employment: 12,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#24. Emergency management directors

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $87,790
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,800
- Employment: 10,320
- Metros with the highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($142,000)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($124,780)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($123,170)

#23. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $91,550
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,730

National
- Annual mean salary: $102,650
- Employment: 274,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($144,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($143,450)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($142,330)

#22. Facilities managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $94,080
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850

National
- Annual mean salary: $101,970
- Employment: 101,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($146,040)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($136,440)
--- Ithaca, NY ($136,210)

#21. Administrative services managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $95,800
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,280

National
- Annual mean salary: $113,030
- Employment: 224,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($149,360)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($142,650)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($141,950)

#20. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $102,290
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,620

National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

#19. Fundraising managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $106,890
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $119,400
- Employment: 23,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($175,610)
--- Syracuse, NY ($155,700)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($153,980)

#18. Construction managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $110,090
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,400

National
- Annual mean salary: $108,210
- Employment: 284,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($160,710)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($149,050)
--- Napa, CA ($145,430)

#17. Medical and health services managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $111,850
- #199 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,320

National
- Annual mean salary: $119,840
- Employment: 436,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($162,110)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($157,340)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($156,370)

#16. Industrial production managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $113,880
- #183 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340

National
- Annual mean salary: $117,780
- Employment: 192,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($155,640)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($153,860)
--- Fort Collins, CO ($153,470)

#15. General and operations managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $114,460
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 17,610

National
- Annual mean salary: $115,250
- Employment: 2,984,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($165,340)
--- Trenton, NJ ($165,030)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($159,210)

#14. Education administrators, postsecondary

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $118,370
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050

National
- Annual mean salary: $111,260
- Employment: 155,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Corvallis, OR ($178,570)
--- Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC ($165,940)
--- Syracuse, NY ($164,660)

#13. Training and development managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $120,010
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $128,800
- Employment: 35,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($180,360)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($176,270)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($166,410)

#12. Natural sciences managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $126,140
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $156,110
- Employment: 74,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($222,360)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($219,240)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($216,750)

#11. Public relations managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $127,760
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $138,000
- Employment: 59,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($183,410)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($182,890)
--- Boulder, CO ($174,250)

#10. Purchasing managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $131,990
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

National
- Annual mean salary: $134,590
- Employment: 69,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($181,030)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($177,010)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($174,760)

#9. Human resources managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $133,850
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010

National
- Annual mean salary: $136,590
- Employment: 166,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($190,020)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($186,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($175,410)

#8. Compensation and benefits managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $135,150
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $139,470
- Employment: 15,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($190,560)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($187,770)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($177,130)

#7. Sales managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $139,800
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,890

National
- Annual mean salary: $142,390
- Employment: 453,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($198,960)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($196,910)
--- Boulder, CO ($182,820)

#6. Advertising and promotions managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $141,620
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $142,860
- Employment: 22,520
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($193,980)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($182,520)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($166,620)

#5. Financial managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $142,300
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,740

National
- Annual mean salary: $153,460
- Employment: 681,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($209,100)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($201,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($188,900)

#4. Architectural and engineering managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $144,340
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860

National
- Annual mean salary: $158,970
- Employment: 187,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($228,000)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($206,050)
--- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL ($198,430)

#3. Marketing managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $144,570
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,510

National
- Annual mean salary: $153,440
- Employment: 278,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($210,280)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($198,870)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($191,310)

#2. Computer and information systems managers

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $146,450
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,130

National
- Annual mean salary: $162,930
- Employment: 485,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($228,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($211,470)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($202,800)

#1. Chief executives

Columbus, OH
- Annual mean salary: $195,050
- #182 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,070

National
- Annual mean salary: $213,020
- Employment: 200,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($313,440)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($298,960)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($296,480)