Editors Salary
In Columbia, SC, editors earn $67,530 at the median, or about $32.46 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $119K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $72,101 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $68K 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 editors
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for editors in Columbia runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $78K. Rent runs $1,276/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.8% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for editors in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $63K | $63K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $52K | $55K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $66K | $71K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $78K | $78K |
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 editors (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $119K or more, a $73K spread from bottom to top.
Editors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Editors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +30% | 16,800 |
| California | $98K | +26% | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +10% | 1,050 |
| District of Columbia | $84K | +8% | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +7% | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +5% | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $81K | +3% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +0% | 340 |
| Colorado | $78K | -0% | 1,830 |
| Washington | $78K | -0% | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $77K | -2% | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76K | -2% | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $76K | -3% | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75K | -4% | 170 |
| Florida | $74K | -5% | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -5% | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $73K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $72K | -7% | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $72K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $67K | -14% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | -15% | 250 |
| Utah | $65K | -17% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -18% | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -18% | 230 |
| Alaska | $64K | -18% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -19% | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63K | -19% | 530 |
| Arizona | $63K | -19% | 820 |
| Michigan | $63K | -19% | 1,690 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -20% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -20% | 500 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 500 |
| Montana | $62K | -21% | 200 |
| Missouri | $62K | -21% | 880 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -22% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -24% | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -24% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -24% | 330 |
| Iowa | $57K | -27% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -27% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -27% | 260 |
| Indiana | $56K | -28% | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55K | -29% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -30% | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -35% | 500 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -36% | 260 |
| Maine | $50K | -36% | 300 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -40% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -41% | 360 |
| Texas | $46K | -41% | 6,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track editors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
Yes — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 28.8% 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 editors in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new editors typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,739/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is editor a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $68K here vs. $78K 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 editors?
Columbia pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — below the national median.
How much do editors make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $67,530 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,650, and experienced editors can clear $118,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,433/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 28.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a editors 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 editors salary is worth about $72,101 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do editors 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.