Question 1

What is the cost of living in Columbia, MO?

Accepted Answer

Columbia, MO's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 89.44, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 10.6% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,160/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Columbia, MO?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Columbia, MO, the average median wage is $97,070. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $312,080/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Columbia?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Columbia, MO are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $312,080; 2) Nurse Anesthetists at $310,170; 3) Dentists, General at $207,450; 4) Chief Executives at $159,890; 5) Architectural and Engineering Managers at $140,040. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Columbia?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Columbia, MO is $1,160/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Columbia data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
51	Civil Engineers	Engineering	$84K	$40.36/hr
52	Physical Therapists	Healthcare	$83K	$40.06/hr
53	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	Engineering	$82K	$39.63/hr
54	Mechanical Engineers	Engineering	$82K	$39.52/hr
55	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	Science	$82K	$39.43/hr
56	Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$82K	N/A
57	Loan Officers	Business & Finance	$82K	$39.35/hr
58	Financial Specialists, All Other	Business & Finance	$82K	$39.23/hr
59	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	Public Safety	$81K	$39.11/hr
60	Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other	Education	$81K	N/A

Top Paying Jobs in Columbia, MO

Highest paying careers in Columbia

Affordability snapshot: Columbia