Jobs, pay and daily life in Columbus, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Columbus is a city in Nebraska with 24,488 residents. The median household earns $64,626 a year and the median rent is $892 a month, which is 16.6% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Lincoln, NE (182,620 jobs), about 39 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Columbus compares. Among the 40 largest places in Nebraska, Columbus is #10 by population, #30 for college degrees (#1 = most), #26 for remote work (#1 = most), #25 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Platte County, is #11 of 93 counties for average pay ($55,317).
Columbus has 24,488 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.2% of the population of Nebraska. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,305 people per square mile. The median age is 37.4, about the same as the state median (37.4 against 37.2).
The median gross rent is $892 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($892 against $1,072). Over a year that is 16.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $213,600, which is 3.3 times the median household income ($64,626); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 66.1% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (66.1% against 66.5%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Lincoln, NE, metropolitan area has 182,620 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,800 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,800 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (20,970 jobs, median $45,180); food preparation and serving related (17,370 jobs, median $31,200); sales and related (14,660 jobs, median $36,700). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.5 times) and production (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($104,990) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($85,660). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Platte County was 2.0%. 68.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Platte County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.6% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 4.3% work from home. 6.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 4% below the state average (6.7% against 7.0%).
21.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37% below the state share (21.8% against 34.6%). 14.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 78% above the state share (14.3% against 8.0%). The poverty rate is 11.3%, 7% above the state rate (11.3% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.5°C). About 715 mm (28 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (115 mm) and Jan the driest (15 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Schuyler (15 miles, rent 18% higher); Seward (39 miles, rent 14% higher); Norfolk (41 miles, similar rent); York (41 miles, rent 3% lower). Rent differences are against Columbus; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Nebraska (294) →State guide: NebraskaCountry guidePlatte CountyNebraska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 294 federal postings open in Nebraska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Nebraska →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,950 | 1.31 | $28,510 | $28,080 | $36,490 | -9% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,530 | 1.87 | $81,790 | $47,950 | $81,790 | +39% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,200 | 1.06 | $87,530 | $64,280 | $104,010 | -10% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,080 | 0.89 | $30,990 | $28,080 | $45,130 | -12% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,680 | 0.89 | $92,780 | $50,070 | $199,020 | -12% |
| Cashiers | 3,240 | 0.89 | $30,690 | $28,240 | $36,440 | -7% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,890 | 1.44 | $47,230 | $37,440 | $60,830 | -1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,630 | 1.55 | $38,650 | $37,060 | $48,310 | -9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,620 | 0.79 | $35,820 | $28,360 | $43,700 | -4% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,540 | 0.83 | $41,430 | $31,750 | $58,180 | -7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,520 | 0.95 | $36,080 | $28,080 | $60,980 | +2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,420 | 0.48 | $35,500 | $30,160 | $41,900 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,260 | 0.87 | $36,730 | $29,940 | $45,210 | -0% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 2,130 | 1.25 | $65,170 | $46,850 | $108,070 | -22% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 2,070 | 1.26 | $40,100 | $34,450 | $58,760 | -10% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,980 | 0.57 | $40,450 | $31,960 | $52,140 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,930 | 0.67 | $37,550 | $28,450 | $49,550 | -17% |
| Childcare Workers | 1,920 | 3.15 | $29,860 | $28,080 | $37,220 | -15% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,850 | 1.09 | $61,590 | $45,800 | $85,500 | -11% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,660 | 1.03 | $47,930 | $32,240 | $61,440 | -5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 1,010 | 1.02 | $131,150 | $81,300 | $221,970 | -21% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,110 | 1.40 | $130,340 | $96,040 | $205,170 | -26% |
| Sales Managers | 560 | 0.75 | $120,430 | $63,700 | $233,710 | -19% |
| Managers, All Other | 680 | 0.93 | $111,440 | $62,860 | $171,430 | -21% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 600 | 0.86 | $106,640 | $73,640 | $173,990 | -14% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 550 | 1.77 | $104,860 | $68,250 | $172,560 | -8% |
| Software Developers | 1,530 | 0.77 | $101,690 | $66,870 | $157,780 | -25% |
| Lawyers | 820 | 0.92 | $101,300 | $65,970 | $175,470 | -37% |
| Construction Managers | 600 | 1.35 | $99,060 | $63,160 | $160,540 | -14% |
| Civil Engineers | 530 | 1.22 | $95,560 | $64,240 | $135,760 | -5% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 510 | 0.65 | $93,680 | $62,660 | $95,030 | +23% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,680 | 0.89 | $92,780 | $50,070 | $199,020 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,200 | 1.06 | $87,530 | $64,280 | $104,010 | -10% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 650 | 1.07 | $87,500 | $57,280 | $126,360 | -17% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,530 | 1.87 | $81,790 | $47,950 | $81,790 | +39% |
| Compliance Officers | 1,400 | 2.85 | $78,850 | $49,940 | $122,530 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,020 | 1.07 | $77,270 | $51,730 | $102,310 | -3% |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | 700 | 1.84 | $76,970 | $55,650 | $103,260 | -1% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 560 | 0.97 | $76,480 | $41,650 | $113,740 | +29% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,080 | 1.36 | $75,310 | $50,890 | $104,790 | +1% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Lincoln, NE, about 39 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,800 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 31.8% |
| Education and health care | 15.9% |
| Retail trade | 10.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.8% |
| Construction | 7.1% |
| Other services | 6.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 3.6% |
| Public administration | 2.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Information | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Columbus lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County | 34,716 | $3,864 million | $111,300 | 20,010 | 1,157 | $55,317 | +0.8% | 2.0% | 18,863 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,161 | 38.1% | $67,108 | 3.75 |
| Retail trade | 2,157 | 13.3% | $32,033 | 1.08 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,017 | 12.5% | $57,374 | 0.70 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,491 | 9.2% | $20,845 | 0.82 |
| Construction | 1,242 | 7.7% | $69,020 | 1.18 |
| Wholesale trade | 643 | 4.0% | $68,947 | 0.82 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 629 | 3.9% | $43,760 | 1.04 |
| Finance and insurance | 502 | 3.1% | $74,377 | 0.62 |
| Administrative and waste services | 411 | 2.5% | $40,976 | 0.35 |
| Professional and technical services | 358 | 2.2% | $65,664 | 0.26 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 256 | 1.6% | $16,425 | 0.76 |
| Real estate and rental | 123 | 0.8% | $55,667 | 0.40 |
| Information | 109 | 0.7% | $41,433 | 0.29 |
| Educational services | 40 | 0.2% | $19,084 | 0.10 |
| Management of companies | 34 | 0.2% | $72,442 | 0.10 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.6% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 4.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,626 |
| Income per person | $34,527 |
| Median gross rent per month | $892 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.6% |
| Median home value | $213,600 |
| Homeowners | 66.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.3% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 91.6 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $49,800 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.55%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.8% |
| Born abroad | 14.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.5 | 24 | 15 |
| Feb | -3.0 | 27 | 19 |
| Mar | 3.7 | 39 | 37 |
| Apr | 10.1 | 50 | 74 |
| May | 16.4 | 62 | 115 |
| Jun | 22.5 | 72 | 111 |
| Jul | 25.6 | 78 | 73 |
| Aug | 23.9 | 75 | 94 |
| Sep | 19.3 | 67 | 66 |
| Oct | 10.6 | 51 | 60 |
| Nov | 3.6 | 38 | 26 |
| Dec | -3.0 | 27 | 25 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schuyler | NE | 15 mi | 6,578 | $80,399 | $1,049 |
| Seward | NE | 39 mi | 7,678 | $72,564 | $1,018 |
| Norfolk | NE | 41 mi | 26,054 | $58,884 | $875 |
| York | NE | 41 mi | 8,141 | $63,265 | $862 |
| Wahoo | NE | 41 mi | 4,929 | $89,457 | $907 |
| Fremont | NE | 45 mi | 27,567 | $71,152 | $1,080 |
| Aurora | NE | 52 mi | 4,664 | $77,679 | $764 |
| Lincoln | NE | 56 mi | 294,856 | $71,867 | $1,086 |
| Waverly | NE | 56 mi | 4,440 | $111,632 | $1,076 |
| Wayne | NE | 58 mi | 6,121 | $53,702 | $792 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
24,488 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$892 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.6% of the median household income.
$64,626 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.0% (BLS county, Platte County (latest month 2026M09)).
Nebraska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.