What Is the Minimum Wage in Columbus, Ohio?

Ohio's minimum wage applies to Columbus workers and sits at $10.45 per hour for non-tipped employees as of January 1, 2024, with tipped employees entitled to a minimum cash wage of $5.25 per hour (provided tips bring total hourly earnings up to at least $10.45).

Ohio sets its minimum wage through a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2006, which ties annual increases to the Consumer Price Index. That means the figure adjusts each January 1 rather than staying flat until legislators act. The Ohio Department of Commerce, Wage and Hour Bureau, administers and enforces the law statewide. Columbus cannot set a higher local minimum wage than the state rate because Ohio law preempts municipal wage ordinances.

One practical distinction: businesses with annual gross receipts under $385,000 are only required to pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, though most employers in Columbus well exceed that threshold.

Because the rate updates every January, verify the current figure at ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/site/government/agencies/commerce or contact the Ohio Department of Commerce at its Columbus office at 77 South High Street before relying on any posted number for payroll or job negotiations.