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Community & Social · Columbia

Directors, Religious Activities and Education Salary

in Columbia, SC

The median pay for a directors, religious activities and education in Columbia, SC is $39,210/year ($18.85/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $41,864 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 47.7% of take-home, which is tight.

Our verdict:Tight. Expect trade-offs
Median pay
$39K
per year, before taxes
Hourly
$18.85
median hourly rate
Starting out
$28K
10th percentile
Top earners
$92K
90th percentile

Where the paycheck goes

What $39K actually covers in Columbia, month by month

Take-home pay
after estimated taxes
$2,722/mo
Rent
2-bedroom median (HUD)
-$1,276/mo
Groceries
scaled to local prices
-$367/mo
Utilities
power, water, internet
-$184/mo
Transportation
car, gas, transit
-$322/mo
Healthcare *
employee share only
-$214/mo
Rent as % of take-home46.9% ⚠ above 30% guideline
Left over each month$359/mo

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.

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About directors, religious activities and educations

Education: Master's degree
U.S. employed: 22,160
Columbia, SC employed: 40
Category: Community & Social

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What this looks like in Columbia

Pay for directors, religious activities and education in Columbia runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $52K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 46.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for directors, religious activities and education.

Compared to nearby metros

Median pay for directors, religious activities and educations in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.

MetroMedian payCOL-adjusted
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell$93K$93K

COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC

Bar chart showing Directors, Religious Activities and Education salary percentiles in Columbia, SC: 10th percentile $27,820, 25th percentile $27,830, median $39,210, 75th percentile $71,770, 90th percentile $92,010. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$28K25th$28KMedian$39K75th$72K90th$92K
Bar chart showing Directors, Religious Activities and Education salary percentiles in Columbia, SC: 10th percentile $27,820, 25th percentile $27,830, median $39,210, 75th percentile $71,770, 90th percentile $92,010. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level directors, religious activities and educations (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.

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Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

View Directors, Religious Activities and Education salary in all states
StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
Alabama$79K+52%90
Texas$75K+45%330
Georgia$73K+40%320
Nebraska$73K+39%40
Colorado$68K+30%100
Iowa$66K+27%220
New Jersey$66K+26%N/A
North Carolina$63K+21%260
Massachusetts$63K+21%160
Nevada$62K+20%90
Tennessee$62K+19%130
District of Columbia$62K+19%170
California$62K+18%3,200
Virginia$59K+13%380
Maryland$59K+13%300
Indiana$58K+12%670
Arizona$57K+10%300
Utah$57K+9%50
Washington$56K+8%390
Pennsylvania$56K+7%1,210
Illinois$54K+3%N/A
South Dakota$53K+2%50
Missouri$53K+2%60
Kentucky$52K+0%250
Minnesota$50K-4%760
New York$50K-4%3,550
Mississippi$49K-5%120
Ohio$49K-5%740
Florida$49K-6%1,420
New Mexico$48K-7%60
Connecticut$48K-8%160
Hawaii$48K-9%310
Oklahoma$47K-10%110
Kansas$46K-12%140
Michigan$46K-12%950
Oregon$45K-13%1,860
Montana$45K-13%640
Idaho$45K-14%40
Rhode Island$45K-14%120
Wisconsin$40K-23%130
South Carolina$36K-31%170
Arkansas$34K-35%140
Louisiana$30K-43%N/A
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Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data

BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small

Track directors, religious activities and education salary changes

BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.

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Quick answers

The stuff people actually ask about this job

Can a directors, religious activities and education afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 46.9% 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 $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for directors, religious activities and educations in Columbia?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new directors, religious activities and educations typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,008/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is directors, religious activities and education a high-paying job in Columbia?

Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $39K here vs. $52K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.

How does Columbia compare to the national average for directors, religious activities and educations?

Columbia pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.

How much do directors, religious activities and educations make in Columbia, SC?

The median is $39,210 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,820, and experienced directors, religious activities and educations can clear $92,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $39K enough to live in Columbia?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,722/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 46.9% 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 directors, religious activities and education 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 directors, religious activities and education salary is worth about $41,864 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do directors, religious activities and educations 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.

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