Home / Wages / Columbia Columbia salaries The median worker in the Columbia, SC metro area earned $45,380 a year in 2024, about $21.82 an hour. That ranks #247 of the 391 metro areas published here, 8.3% below the national median.
South Carolina
Median pay $45,380 $21.82 per hour
Vs national -8.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 385,940 wage and salary
Metro rank #247 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Columbia pays 1.4% more than South Carolina as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Housing here moved +2.0% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +44.6% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the
affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does.
House prices in Columbia .
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks 3.06× 1,750 $39,890 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers 2.58× 910 $36,130 Medical Records Specialists 2.35× 1,100 $65,960 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors 2.12× 1,820 $58,990 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 2.11× 920 $38,760 Bill and Account Collectors 2.09× 860 $38,340 Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.04× 500 $49,450 Dentists, General 2× 570 $198,310 Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers 1.96× 590 $27,090 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 1.91× 1,460 $68,220 Emergency Medical Technicians 1.86× 830 $38,670 Detectives and Criminal Investigators 1.82× 500 $66,440
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Columbia Occupation Median Hourly Employed Dentists, General $198,310 $95.34 570 Chief Executives $185,390 $89.13 540 Architectural and Engineering Managers $147,060 $70.70 340 Computer and Information Systems Managers $137,880 $66.29 930 Pharmacists $134,730 $64.77 1,030 Veterinarians $130,450 $62.72 230 Industrial Production Managers $128,730 $61.89 800 Managers, All Other $127,520 $61.31 480 Web Developers $126,380 $60.76 300 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $126,000 n/a 220 Sales Managers $123,210 $59.24 1,190 Marketing Managers $122,340 $58.82 500 Physician Assistants $119,620 $57.51 410 Computer Network Architects $117,690 $56.58 260 Financial Managers $113,390 $54.51 1,930 Nurse Practitioners $112,050 $53.87 960 Human Resources Managers $104,990 $50.48 430 Software Developers $103,400 $49.71 2,270 Lawyers $103,000 $49.52 2,180 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $102,940 $49.49 460 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $102,850 $49.45 550 Construction Managers $101,990 $49.03 660 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,370 n/a 960 Electrical Engineers $101,350 $48.73 360 Physical Therapists $100,690 $48.41 620 Personal Financial Advisors $100,330 $48.24 410 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $98,160 $47.19 520 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $98,100 n/a 330 Mechanical Engineers $97,580 $46.91 410 General and Operations Managers $97,300 $46.78 6,650 Occupational Therapists $96,760 $46.52 310 Civil Engineers $96,070 $46.19 1,340 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary $95,750 n/a 250 Industrial Engineers $93,720 $45.06 820 Facilities Managers $93,270 $44.84 230 Public Relations Managers $91,920 $44.19 200 Data Scientists $90,780 $43.64 520 Computer Occupations, All Other $88,770 $42.68 1,160 Database Administrators $88,050 $42.33 210 Computer Systems Analysts $87,880 $42.25 1,950 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $86,600 $41.64 880 Project Management Specialists $85,580 $41.14 2,120 Speech-Language Pathologists $84,660 $40.70 380 Financial and Investment Analysts $84,390 $40.57 520 Management Analysts $82,610 $39.72 3,120 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $81,480 $39.17 260 Registered Nurses $80,100 $38.51 9,800 Dental Hygienists $79,710 $38.32 560 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $79,480 $38.21 270 Respiratory Therapists $78,220 $37.61 360 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $77,890 $37.45 360 Power Plant Operators $77,820 $37.41 210 Social and Community Service Managers $77,240 $37.14 360 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $76,360 $36.71 400 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $75,940 $36.51 1,710 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,920 $36.02 1,770 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $73,900 $35.53 230 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $72,980 $35.09 1,720 Logisticians $72,970 $35.08 460 Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers $72,250 $34.74 270
Where most people work Largest occupations in Columbia by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Fast Food and Counter Workers 11,590 $26,310 $12.65 Retail Salespersons 10,740 $28,890 $13.89 Customer Service Representatives 9,850 $37,670 $18.11 Registered Nurses 9,800 $80,100 $38.51 Stockers and Order Fillers 9,800 $36,520 $17.56 Cashiers 9,220 $26,790 $12.88 Office Clerks, General 8,200 $37,610 $18.08 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 8,010 $37,580 $18.07 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 6,690 $29,320 $14.10 General and Operations Managers 6,650 $97,300 $46.78 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 6,100 $42,490 $20.43 Waiters and Waitresses 5,920 $18,270 $8.78 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,520 $31,830 $15.31 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,230 $52,730 $25.35 Security Guards 5,030 $35,830 $17.23 Nursing Assistants 4,940 $36,410 $17.51 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 4,710 $64,380 $30.95 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 4,190 $46,770 $22.49 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,730 $39,150 $18.82 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 3,700 $45,130 $21.70
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other South Carolina metro areas Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 1,340,800 workers $48,880 Charleston-North Charleston 388,220 workers $47,620 Spartanburg 163,980 workers $46,210 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 427,770 workers $44,920 Augusta-Richmond County 229,650 workers $44,280 Sumter 35,260 workers $41,590 Columbia pay: common questions What is the average salary in Columbia? The median across all occupations is $45,380 , or $21.82 an hour, covering 385,940 wage and salary workers. The mean is $57,590, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Columbia pay more than the rest of South Carolina? Yes. The metro median of $45,380 is 1.4% above the South Carolina median of $44,760. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Columbia? Dentists, General ($198,310), Chief Executives ($185,390), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($147,060). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Columbia unusually full of? Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks, at 3.06× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.