Brokerage Clerks Salary
In Columbia, SC, brokerage clerks earn $60,620 at the median, or about $29.15 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $64,723 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About brokerage clerks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Columbia
Brokerage clerks pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $66K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,276/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for brokerage clerks in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $56K | $60K |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $60K | $60K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $61K | $62K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $62K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level brokerage clerks (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $58K spread from bottom to top.
Brokerage Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Brokerage Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $95K | +45% | N/A |
| New York | $79K | +20% | 5,950 |
| Vermont | $78K | +19% | 30 |
| California | $78K | +19% | 4,740 |
| Connecticut | $75K | +15% | 420 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +14% | 3,260 |
| Michigan | $73K | +12% | 430 |
| Washington | $73K | +11% | 140 |
| Maine | $73K | +11% | 80 |
| Oregon | $72K | +10% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $68K | +4% | 200 |
| Utah | $67K | +3% | 320 |
| Tennessee | $65K | -2% | 370 |
| Ohio | $64K | -3% | 800 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -3% | 460 |
| Massachusetts | $64K | -3% | 890 |
| Illinois | $63K | -4% | 2,060 |
| Florida | $63K | -4% | 1,830 |
| Texas | $63K | -4% | 1,300 |
| Virginia | $63K | -5% | 750 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | -5% | 450 |
| Minnesota | $62K | -6% | 960 |
| Maryland | $62K | -6% | 560 |
| Arizona | $62K | -6% | 940 |
| Georgia | $62K | -6% | 540 |
| Louisiana | $62K | -6% | N/A |
| Delaware | $61K | -7% | N/A |
| Colorado | $61K | -7% | 220 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -7% | 400 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -7% | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -8% | 1,470 |
| South Carolina | $60K | -9% | 440 |
| Arkansas | $59K | -11% | 90 |
| Indiana | $58K | -11% | 1,260 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -11% | 40 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -12% | N/A |
| Iowa | $56K | -14% | 160 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -15% | 130 |
| Kansas | $50K | -24% | 310 |
| Montana | $48K | -26% | 110 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track brokerage clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a brokerage clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 31.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for brokerage clerks in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new brokerage clerks typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,008/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is brokerage clerk a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $66K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for brokerage clerks?
Columbia pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do brokerage clerks make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $60,620 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,140, and experienced brokerage clerks can clear $107,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,041/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 31.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a brokerage clerks salary go in Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median brokerage clerks salary is worth about $64,723 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do brokerage clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.