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$36,000 USD is the average annual salary for an Accounting Intern in Columbus, OH, based on aggregated data from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Salary.com as of early 2026. This page covers the full pay spectrum - from first-semester placements at regional CPA firms to structured rotational programs at Big Four satellite offices - and explains why offers can range from $28,000 to $75,000 depending on employer type, internship track, and academic standing. Ranges vary by firm size, industry sector, specialization (tax vs. audit vs. advisory), and whether the role is part-time or full-time.
Pay scales sharply with academic year, CPA-track status, and whether the employer is a Big Four satellite, national mid-market firm, or local regional shop.
$28,000 - $38,000 USD
Entry placements at local CPA shops or corporate AP departments; pay is hourly ($14-$18/hr) and hours are often capped at 20 per week.
$38,000 - $52,000 USD
Full-time summer rotations at regional firms like GBQ Partners, Meaden and Moore, or corporate finance teams; expectations include month-end close support and reconciliations.
$52,000 - $65,000 USD
Structured internships with return-offer potential at Big Four satellite offices (PwC, EY) or large Columbus employers like Huntington Bank or AEP; audit and tax tracks both fall in this band.
$62,000 - $75,000 USD
Master of Accounting or MBA interns at national firms or large Columbus corporates; compensation is often presented as annualized salary with a pro-rated summer stipend.
Most interns earning below $18/hr are in part-time or unstructured roles at firms that do not benchmark against the market. Moving to a structured program - even laterally at the same academic year - can add $5,000 to $12,000 annualized.
Accounting intern resumes that mirror the exact language in firm job descriptions score higher in ATS filters and reach more hiring managers at Columbus-area firms. Optimizing your resume now is the fastest lever between the $38K and $65K bands.
Higher-paying candidates typically show:
The largest market in the corridor; Big Four satellite offices, Huntington Bank, AEP, Nationwide Insurance, and a dense cluster of regional CPA firms drive a wide pay range.
Home to Kroger, Medpace, P&G, and a strong Grant Thornton and Deloitte presence; median intern pay is within $200 of Columbus per Salary.com data.
Cleveland Clinic, Parker Hannifin, Meaden and Moore, and Novogradac anchor structured intern programs; Salary.com pegs the median slightly above Columbus at roughly $47,853.
Smaller market than Columbus or Cleveland; PACCAR, Wright-Patterson AFB contractors, and Brixey and Meyer offer structured placements, but fewer Big Four seats compress the top of band.
Comparable cost of living to Columbus; strong corporate intern programs at financial services and manufacturing firms; Salary.com median is approximately $47,808, nearly identical to Columbus.
Some Big Four and national mid-market firms offer a separate housing or relocation stipend on top of base pay - typically $1,500 to $3,000 for a 10-12 week summer program. These are not included in the salary ranges on this page. Ask the recruiter explicitly whether the published rate is all-in or excludes stipends.
Many Columbus-area semester internships are capped at 20 hours per week. At $17-$20/hr, that annualizes to roughly $18,000-$21,000, well below the ranges shown here for full-time summer programs. Always confirm expected weekly hours when comparing offers. A seemingly lower hourly rate at a full-time firm often totals more than a higher hourly rate at a part-time placement.
Big Four and large national firms routinely extend full-time return offers to summer interns, often with a signing bonus paid at the start of full-time employment. The intern year is effectively a long interview. Converting a Big Four internship to a full-time staff accountant offer in Columbus is worth benchmarking separately against the $55,000-$75,000 entry-level full-time range.
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Answers to the most common questions about Accounting Intern compensation in Columbus, OH.
Based on aggregated data from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Salary.com as of early 2026, accounting interns in Columbus earn roughly $28,000 to $75,000 annualized, with a market average near $36,000. Part-time semester roles sit at the lower end of the range, while full-time Big Four summer programs with a graduate-level student reach the upper end. The 25th to 75th percentile band is approximately $50,000 to $77,000 on an annualized basis per Glassdoor's Columbus sample.
Yes - Big Four satellite offices (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) in Columbus typically pay $52,000 to $75,000 annualized for structured summer interns, materially above the $28,000 to $45,000 range common at smaller regional CPA firms. The premium reflects higher billing rates and competitive recruiting against other large markets. National mid-market firms such as Grant Thornton and RSM fall in between, generally in the $45,000 to $60,000 band.
ZipRecruiter data from March-April 2026 places the Columbus accounting intern hourly average at approximately $17.49/hr, with most workers earning between $14.86 and $18.80/hr. Big Four and structured corporate programs can pay $25 to $38/hr, as reflected in some Glassdoor Columbus postings. The median ZipRecruiter figure translates to roughly $36,000 annualized at 40 hours per week.
Per Salary.com data, the median accounting intern salary in Columbus ($47,843), Cincinnati ($47,745), and Cleveland ($47,853) are within $150 of each other, making city selection a minor factor compared to firm tier or internship structure. Indianapolis, IN is similarly close at $47,808. The key differentiator in the Ohio corridor is employer type, not city.
Most structured Big Four and national mid-market programs in Columbus list a minimum GPA of 3.0, with many preferring 3.3 or higher during resume screening. A GPA at or above 3.3 improves placement odds significantly at firms like Deloitte, KPMG, and Grant Thornton, which run competitive on-campus recruiting at Ohio State, Capital University, and other Columbus-area schools.
Yes, indirectly. Students who have completed or are on track for 150 credit hours - required for CPA licensure - are often placed into a higher pay tier or preferred for structured summer programs that carry return offers. Some firms explicitly list CPA eligibility as a requirement for their intern cohort, and meeting it positions you for a direct full-time offer at a higher starting band.
Active Columbus-area recruiters as of 2026 include Huntington Bank, AEP Service Corporation, Meaden and Moore, Citrin Cooperman, Ultimus LeverPoint Private Fund Solutions, Messer Construction, Worthington Enterprises, GBQ Partners, and State of Ohio agencies including the Auditor of State and Department of Taxation. Big Four firms also recruit on-campus at Ohio State and other area universities each fall for the following summer.
Explore comparable entry-level and accounting-adjacent roles to understand the broader compensation landscape.
| Job title | Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior / Full-Charge | Lead / Bookkeeping Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | $33,000 - $42,000 USD | $42,000 - $52,000 USD | $52,000 - $63,000 USD | $63,000 - $73,000 USD |
| Inside Sales Representative | $37,000 - $48,000 USD | $48,000 - $68,000 USD | $68,000 - $90,000 USD | $90,000 - $120,000 USD |
| Cybersecurity Intern | $29K - $38K USD | $38K - $48K USD | $48K - $58K USD | $44K - $58K USD |
| Marketing Intern | $0 (stipend only) | $16 - $19/hr USD | $19 - $22/hr USD | $22 - $25/hr USD |
| Supply Chain Intern | $31,000 - $38,000 USD | $36,000 - $44,000 USD | $42,000 - $55,000 USD | — |
| Product Management Intern | $18,500 - $28,000 USD | $28,000 - $40,000 USD | $40,000 - $55,000 USD | — |
| Investment Banking Summer Analyst | $65K - $80K USD | $80K - $95K USD | $95K - $110K USD | $105K - $120K USD |
| Data Entry Clerk | $35K - $41K CAD | $41K - $47K CAD | $47K - $54K CAD | $54K - $60K CAD |
Strengthen your accounting intern job search with guidance on resume building, salary negotiation, and interview preparation.
Learn proven strategies to negotiate your accounting intern offer and maximize your compensation within the $28,000 to $75,000 range based on employer type and specialization.
Read article →Discover entry-level job search strategies specifically designed for recent graduates pursuing accounting internships at firms ranging from regional CPAs to Big Four offices.
Read article →Master the interview process for accounting roles by learning how to research firms, prepare for technical questions, and demonstrate your value to hiring managers.
Read article →Create a polished, ATS-friendly resume that highlights your accounting coursework and internship readiness to stand out among other candidates applying to Columbus-area firms.
Read article →Salary ranges on this page were compiled by cross-referencing ZipRecruiter real-time job postings and salary estimates (March-April 2026), Glassdoor employer-reported salaries for Columbus, OH (September 2025), and Salary.com city-level benchmarks (January 2026). Where sources diverged, the midpoint or modal range was used. Outliers (e.g., Glassdoor's annualized figures that may include non-intern roles) are noted in context.
The following reflects sentiment aggregated from public forums and job platforms as of late 2025 and early 2026. Individual experiences vary by firm type and academic year.
“Big Four internships in Columbus are fully staffed from on-campus recruiting by November - if you miss fall recruiting you are basically waiting a full year”
Reflects how competitive and early the Columbus Big Four recruiting calendar is, reinforcing that waiting until spring to apply is a costly mistake for top-tier placements.
“Regional firms here pay around $17-$18 an hour which is fine for a first internship but it is a big jump to what the Big Four pays”
Confirms the meaningful pay gap between regional CPA shops and Big Four satellite offices in Columbus, with the hourly difference translating to $10,000 or more on an annualized basis.
“My offer at a mid-size Columbus firm was $20 an hour but I had to negotiate - the first offer was $17”
Suggests that even at regional and mid-market firms in Ohio, there is negotiating room of $2-$4/hr, particularly for students with a strong GPA or prior internship experience.
“Tax track interns at national firms in Ohio seem to be getting slightly better hourly rates than audit interns this cycle”
Aligns with national data showing management and consulting or tax specializations carry a modest pay premium over audit at the intern level in competitive Midwest markets.
“The pay is not the reason to take a regional firm internship - the client exposure and mentorship are why you go”
Highlights a common trade-off interns in the Ohio corridor navigate: lower base pay at regional firms versus structured development that may accelerate a full-time career path.
Huntington Bank · AEP Service Corporation · GBQ Partners · Meaden and Moore · Citrin Cooperman · Ultimus LeverPoint Private Fund Solutions · Messer Construction Co. · Worthington Enterprises · State of Ohio - Auditor of State · OTC Industrial · Encova Insurance · Parker Hannifin · Sherwin-Williams · Grant Thornton
ZipRecruiter: Accounting Intern Salary in Columbus, OH (April 2026) - average $17.49/hr annualized to approximately $36,389 ZipRecruiter Columbus Intern Salary
Glassdoor: Accounting Intern Salary in Columbus, OH - 25th to 75th percentile $49,615 to $76,531 (September 2025 sample) Glassdoor Columbus Intern Salary
Salary.com: Accounting Intern city benchmarks - Columbus $47,843, Cleveland $47,853, Cincinnati $47,745, Indianapolis $47,808, Dayton $47,553 (January 2026) Salary.com Accounting Intern Benchmarks
Glassdoor: Accounting Intern national salary - average $62,119/yr, 25th-75th percentile $48,487 to $80,157 (April 2026 sample of 1,545 submissions) Glassdoor National Intern Salary
ZipRecruiter: National Accounting Intern Salary - average $43,285/yr, 25th-75th percentile $36,000 to $50,000 (February 2026) ZipRecruiter National Intern Salary