Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondaries in Columbia, SC make a median of $77,120 a year. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $163K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $82,340 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 25.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $77K 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 criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Columbia
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $77K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,276/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.8% 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 criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $79K | $79K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $79K | $79K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $73K | $75K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $76K | $81K |
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 criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $163K or more, a $102K spread from bottom to top.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +82% | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $122K | +59% | 370 |
| Maryland | $100K | +30% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $95K | +24% | 790 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +10% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +8% | 100 |
| New York | $83K | +8% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $82K | +7% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | +7% | 300 |
| Delaware | $81K | +5% | 40 |
| Iowa | $80K | +4% | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +4% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +3% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +3% | 110 |
| Texas | $77K | +1% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $77K | +0% | 150 |
| Michigan | $77K | +0% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $77K | +0% | 90 |
| Utah | $77K | +0% | 80 |
| Ohio | $77K | +0% | 420 |
| Connecticut | $73K | -5% | 200 |
| Washington | $73K | -5% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $72K | -7% | 530 |
| Georgia | $72K | -7% | 320 |
| Arizona | $71K | -7% | 310 |
| Missouri | $71K | -8% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -9% | 40 |
| Indiana | $68K | -11% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Nevada | $67K | -12% | 60 |
| Illinois | $66K | -14% | 480 |
| Alabama | $65K | -15% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -18% | 1,220 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -18% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -19% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -19% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -20% | 70 |
| Florida | $62K | -20% | 840 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -34% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
Yes — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 25.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,623/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $77K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries?
Columbia pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $77,120 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,380, and experienced criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries can clear $162,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,944/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 25.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary 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 criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $82,340 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries 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.