What to Pay a Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse in Columbus, OH (2026)
Last updated: May 15, 2026Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HRSample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$86,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$75K–$99K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.7%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~28
Columbus metro average
To hire a Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse in Columbus at market, plan on a base salary range of
$75,000 to $99,000,
with $86,000 as the midpoint.
To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 28 days,
expect to lead at $99K–$114K plus a sign-on bonus,
common in skilled nursing settings. Ohio has no statewide pay transparency law, but Columbus requires a pay range in job postings.
How to set your Med-Surg RN pay range in Columbus
Three pay positions, modeled against current Columbus market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.
Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$65K–$75K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Columbus average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$81.6K–$91.2K
Default for most Columbus employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~28 days.
A range width of ~30% (min $75,000 to max $99,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a Med-Surg RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$93.8K–$114K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.
Med-Surg RN salary percentile distribution in Columbus, OH
Where the Columbus market actually sits for Med-Surg RN base pay.
10th$65K
25th$75K
Median$86K
75th$99K
90th$114K
Most Columbus employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($86,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $75,000 and a max of $99,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.
Ohio pay transparency compliance for Med-Surg RN job postings
What you must post when hiring a Med-Surg RN in Ohio.
Required. Ohio has no statewide pay transparency law, but two of its largest cities do. Cleveland (effective October 27, 2025) and Columbus (effective December 3, 2025, with enforcement beginning January 1, 2027) require employers with 15 or more employees to include a salary range or scale in job postings. Cincinnati and Toledo ban salary history questions and require employers to provide the pay scale on reasonable request to an applicant who has received a conditional job offer.
For a Med-Surg RN role in Columbus, a compliant good-faith range looks like $75,000 to $99,000.
Top Med-Surg RN employers in Columbus — who you're competing against
Top healthcare employers hiring Med-Surg RNs in the Columbus metro and what they're posting.
Employer
Type
Disclosed Range
Sign-on Bonus
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Academic medical center
$81K–$101K
Very common ($10K–$18K)
OhioHealth
Health system
$81K–$101K
Very common ($10K–$18K)
Mount Carmel Health System
Health system
$81K–$101K
Very common ($10K–$18K)
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Pediatric specialty
$81K–$101K
Very common ($10K–$18K)
Adena Health System
Health system
$77K–$98K
Very common ($10K–$18K)
Med-Surg RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Columbus
How hard is it to fill a Med-Surg RN role in Columbus.
~28
Avg Days to Fill
~2,580
Active Postings
~25,800
Columbus Med-Surg RN Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand
Columbus med-surg RN market is the largest RN specialty by headcount. High turnover ratio drives constant recruitment cycles.
Skill premiums Med-Surg RN candidates command in Columbus, OH
Skill / Credential
Pay Premium
Demand Signal
CMSRN (Med-Surg certified)
+5–8%
Standard progression
Telemetry / step-down experience
+4–7%
High
Charge nurse experience
+5–8%
High
BSN (vs ADN)
+5–8%
Standard at Magnet hospitals
Med-Surg RN total compensation in Columbus — what candidates expect beyond base
Total rewards mix for Med-Surg RNs in Columbus. "Prevalence" reflects share of Columbus disclosed-range postings including each element.
Component
Typical Value
Prevalence in Columbus Postings
Base salary
$86,000 (median)
100%
Shift differential
+12–20% premium
~90%
Sign-on bonus
$7K–$15K
~76%
CMSRN certification pay
+5–8% on base
~48%
Overtime opportunity
$9K–$19K annualized
~94%
Estimated total comp benchmark
~$103K–$120K
—
Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.
Med-Surg RN pay by setting in Columbus — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health
Where the Med-Surg RN range splits by employer type in the Columbus metro.
Setting
Median
Competitive Range
Hiring Difficulty
Adult med-surg (community)
$81,000
$72K–$93K
Very high
Adult med-surg (academic)
$88,000
$77K–$100K
Very high
Telemetry / step-down
$91,000
$81K–$103K
Very high
Progressive care unit (PCU)
$93,000
$83K–$105K
Very high
Ortho / surgical unit
$86,000
$77K–$98K
High
FAQ: hiring a Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse in Columbus, OH
Market median is $86,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $86,000 — typically $75,000 to $99,000. To lead the market, plan on $99K–$114K base plus a sign-on bonus.
Ohio has no statewide pay transparency law, but two of its largest cities do. Cleveland (effective October 27, 2025) and Columbus (effective December 3, 2025, with enforcement beginning January 1, 2027) require employers with 15 or more employees to include a salary range or scale in job postings. Cincinnati and Toledo ban salary history questions and require employers to provide the pay scale on reasonable request to an applicant who has received a conditional job offer. For this role in Columbus, a good-faith range is $75,000–$99,000.
$77,000 falls below the Columbus market median of $86,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 76% of Columbus med-surg RN postings include a sign-on bonus ($7K–$15K). Highest values at large hospital systems for tele/step-down roles.
Average fill time is approximately 28 days in the Columbus metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($99K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($75K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Columbus-metro posting volume: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health System, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Adena Health System lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for Med-Surg RN in Columbus — for example, $75,000 to $99,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
Related Med-Surg RN pay benchmarks — Ohio metros and nearby nursing roles
If you're modeling pay ranges across hundreds of roles and dozens of locations, doing this manually is the merit-cycle scramble that ate your last quarter. BetterComp keeps your full range structure current against live market data — without the survey lag.
