Entry-level Systems Engineer / Architect salary in Columbus, OH

Based on 22 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Columbus, OH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Dublin, Westerville, Lewis Center, Marysville, Delaware.

Median salary$75,000
Middle 50%$73.4k–$83.4k
vs. all levels here−35%comparison median $115,336
Filings22FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $71,079 and $120,025.
PercentileSalary
10th$73,195
25th$73,396
50th (median)$75,000
75th$83,375
90th$89,464

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $70k $90k FY2020: median $63,003 (21 filings) FY2021: median $60,000 (26 filings) FY2022: median $67,052 (22 filings) FY2024: median $71,400 (20 filings) FY2025: median $78,000 (11 filings) FY2026: median $74,000 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 21 filings FY20 FY2021: 26 filings FY21 FY2022: 22 filings FY22 FY2023: 6 filings FY23 FY2024: 20 filings FY24 FY2025: 11 filings FY25 FY2026: 11 filings FY26 26
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$63,003$60,000$70,00021
FY2021$60,000$57,762$79,24026
FY2022$67,052$57,595$77,30522
FY2023–––6
FY2024$71,400$69,915$81,07820
FY2025$78,000$74,951$83,65011
FY2026$74,000$73,195$81,70011

Cost of living

Columbus's median entry-level Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $75,000 is worth about $78,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Columbus = 95.5).

Compared with all workers here

All Computer Systems Engineers/Architects in the Columbus, OH area earned a median of $129,940 in May 2025 (2,410 employed). The H-1B median here is $75,000, 42% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Virtusatoo few5
Lambdanetstoo few2
Meritektoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $75,000 22
Mid-level · Level II $95,742 296
Senior · Level III $116,563 180
Expert · Level IV $142,640 146

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$73,195$75,00022
Mid-level · Level II$95,742$95,742296
Senior · Level III$115,336$116,563180
Expert · Level IV$137,405$142,640146

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.