Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles Salary
In Columbia, SC, electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles earn $49,530 at the median, or about $23.81 an hour. The range runs from $20K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $52,883 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 37.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K 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 electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles
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What this looks like in Columbia
Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 38% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $78K | $78K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $47K | $48K |
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 electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles (10th percentile) start around $20K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $65K | +33% | 40 |
| New York | $60K | +24% | 290 |
| Colorado | $60K | +24% | N/A |
| Georgia | $60K | +23% | 300 |
| Washington | $59K | +22% | 120 |
| Arizona | $57K | +18% | 40 |
| Indiana | $57K | +17% | 470 |
| Oregon | $56K | +16% | 200 |
| Idaho | $56K | +15% | 90 |
| Iowa | $55K | +14% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $52K | +7% | 40 |
| Montana | $50K | +3% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +3% | 250 |
| New Mexico | $49K | +2% | 160 |
| Virginia | $49K | +2% | 440 |
| Tennessee | $49K | +1% | 210 |
| Texas | $49K | +1% | 1,210 |
| California | $49K | +0% | 960 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -0% | 230 |
| Michigan | $48K | -1% | 80 |
| Florida | $48K | -1% | 660 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -1% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -2% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $48K | -2% | 220 |
| North Dakota | $47K | -2% | 100 |
| Illinois | $47K | -3% | 170 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -3% | 190 |
| Nevada | $46K | -5% | N/A |
| Ohio | $45K | -7% | 230 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -7% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -14% | 80 |
| New Jersey | $41K | -15% | 170 |
| Louisiana | $41K | -15% | N/A |
| Missouri | $39K | -20% | 70 |
| Alabama | $39K | -20% | 70 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -20% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $38K | -21% | N/A |
| Kansas | $33K | -31% | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $27K | -45% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicle afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 38% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles typically earn — is $20K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,174/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 109% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicle a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles?
Columbia pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $49,530 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $19,570, and experienced electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles can clear $49,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,358/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 38% 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 electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles 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 electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles salary is worth about $52,883 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles 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.