Question 1

What is the cost of living in Columbia, SC?

Accepted Answer

Columbia, SC's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 93.66, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 6.3% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,276/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Columbia, SC?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Columbia, SC, the average median wage is $118,822. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $374,300/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, SC are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $374,300; 2) Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $296,020; 3) Anesthesiologists at $290,620; 4) Nurse Anesthetists at $271,350; 5) Psychiatrists at $251,060. 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, SC is $1,276/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
41	Lawyers	Legal	$105K	$50.58/hr
42	Training and Development Managers	Management	$104K	$50.23/hr
43	History Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$104K	N/A
44	General and Operations Managers	Management	$104K	$49.98/hr
45	Fundraising Managers	Management	$104K	$49.82/hr
46	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$103K	N/A
47	Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$103K	N/A
48	Occupational Therapists	Healthcare	$103K	$49.35/hr
49	Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$102K	N/A
50	Mechanical Engineers	Engineering	$102K	$49.18/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Columbia, SC

Highest paying careers in Columbia

Affordability snapshot: Columbia