Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Columbus, OH
Four big health systems, led by Ohio State Wexner Medical Center on the OSU campus, make health care one of the largest employers in Columbus. The guides below cover every healthcare and medical role in Columbus, who is hiring, what each pays and how to get trained and licensed.
Why Healthcare & Medical Work Is Different in Columbus
Columbus has four major hospital systems competing for the same workers. Ohio State Wexner Medical Center runs University Hospital, the James cancer hospital, Ross Heart Hospital, Harding Hospital and Dodd Rehabilitation on the medical campus, plus Ohio State East Hospital on Taylor Avenue. OhioHealth anchors Riverside Methodist on Olentangy River Road and Grant Medical Center Downtown, with Doctors Hospital on the west side and suburban hospitals in Dublin, Grove City, Pickerington and Delaware. Mount Carmel runs Mount Carmel East on East Broad Street plus hospitals in Dublin, Grove City, New Albany and Westerville, and Nationwide Children's fills a whole campus on the Near South Side. That spread means real choice of commute anywhere along the Outerbelt.
The numbers back it up. In the BLS May 2025 wage release for the Columbus metro, healthcare practitioners and technical workers made up 7.4 percent of all jobs at a mean of $47.94 an hour, and healthcare support workers another 4.7 percent at $19.25. Columbus State Community College says central Ohio needs about 9,000 more health care professionals by 2028, and OhioHealth and Columbus State have committed $120 million to double health graduates, including the OhioHealth Hall simulation building due to open in 2027. Ohio is also a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so Ohio RNs and LPNs can hold a multistate license.
Top Healthcare & Medical Employers in Columbus
These are the Columbus employers that hire across the most healthcare roles:
- Ohio State Wexner Medical Center - the university health system hires RNs, LPNs, patient care associates and medical assistants across its campus hospitals, East Hospital and outpatient clinics.
- OhioHealth - the network behind Riverside Methodist and Grant hires nurses, patient support assistants, medical assistants, imaging, lab and surgical techs, and runs a nurse residency for new graduates.
- Mount Carmel Health System - the Trinity Health system, with more than 9,000 colleagues, hires nursing staff across its five central Ohio hospitals.
- Nationwide Children's Hospital - the pediatric system hires staff RNs, patient care assistants, home care LPNs and clinic medical assistants on the Near South Side and in neighborhood health centers.
- VA Central Ohio Healthcare System - the Chalmers P. Wylie VA outpatient clinic posts federal nursing and clinical jobs through USAJOBS.
- Optum (American Health Network) - the physician group hires medical assistants and clinic staff for primary care offices in Westerville, Hilliard and other suburbs.
- Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber - the senior living community on Neil Avenue hires RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants for long-term care.
Healthcare & Medical Career Paths in Columbus
- Licensed nursing - Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse. These are the licensed bedside and clinic roles, and the four systems compete hardest for them.
- Patient care support - Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Assistant. These are the quickest ways in, often with short training programs or on-the-job training, and many people use them as a first step toward nursing.
- Industry overview - the Healthcare guide, which maps the whole Columbus health job market for anyone still choosing a direction.
How to Start a Healthcare & Medical Career in Columbus
- Ohio Board of Nursing license - required for RNs and LPNs after an approved program and the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN.
- Ohio Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry - required for CNAs in long-term care after an approved training program and the state's written and skills tests. Ohio renamed the STNA credential CNA in 2024.
- National medical assistant certification - CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA; Ohio has no state MA license, but many employers require certification within the first year.
- BLS / CPR - asked for on nearly every clinical posting.
- Columbus State Community College - Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Licensed Practical Nurse certificate, Nurse Aide Certificate and Medical Assisting Technology at the Columbus Campus on East Spring Street, with medical assisting also at the Delaware Campus.
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing and Mount Carmel College of Nursing - BSN programs, with Ohio State at Newton Hall on Neil Avenue and Mount Carmel offering an accelerated second-degree BSN.
The nursing license and the nurse aide registry listing are legal requirements; medical assistant certification and BLS are employer requirements that most Columbus clinics and hospitals enforce.
Healthcare & Medical Salaries in Columbus
- Entry - about $18 to $21 an hour for CNAs, patient care assistants and medical assistants.
- Mid - about $24 to $33 an hour for LPNs and newer RNs.
- Senior - about $40 to $51 an hour for experienced RNs, with the Columbus RN median at $40.34 in BLS May 2025 data.
These are estimates from BLS May 2025 wage data for the Columbus metro and pay posted by local employers. The big systems add shift differentials and nurse residencies for new graduates, while federal VA jobs pay on the GS scale and home care and senior living often add sign-on bonuses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the biggest healthcare employers in Columbus?
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health System and Nationwide Children's Hospital are the four major systems. The VA's Chalmers P. Wylie outpatient clinic, physician groups such as Optum's American Health Network and senior living operators add many more.
Can I get a hospital job in Columbus with no experience?
Yes. Ohio State hires patient care associates without hospital experience and trains them after hire, and OhioHealth and Nationwide Children's hire patient support and patient care assistants. Those roles are a common first step toward nursing school.
Do Columbus hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. OhioHealth runs a Nurse Residency Program for new acute care RNs, and Nationwide Children's hires new grads for most RN roles and enrolls them in its nurse residency. Nationwide Children's asks ADN hires to earn a BSN within five years.
Where can I train for a healthcare job in Columbus?
Columbus State Community College covers nursing, practical nursing, nurse aide and medical assisting, mainly at its Columbus Campus downtown. The Ohio State University and Mount Carmel College of Nursing offer bachelor's degrees in nursing.
How much do healthcare workers make in Columbus?
BLS May 2025 data puts the Columbus median at about $20.66 an hour for nursing assistants, $21.22 for medical assistants, $29.76 for LPNs and $40.34 for RNs. Shift, specialty, license and employer all move pay.
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