Financial Examiners Salary in Columbia, SC
Financial Examiners in Columbia, SC make a median of $81,440 a year, or about $39.16 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $167K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $86,953 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 24.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K 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 financial examiners
Sponsored links — AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level financial examiners (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $167K or more, a $103K spread from bottom to top.
Financial Examiners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $178K | +96% | 590 |
| Connecticut | $132K | +46% | 390 |
| New York | $127K | +41% | 10,580 |
| Washington | $110K | +22% | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $109K | +21% | 90 |
| California | $106K | +17% | 3,690 |
| New Jersey | $103K | +14% | 2,810 |
| Illinois | $100K | +10% | 2,970 |
| Minnesota | $96K | +6% | 1,100 |
| Delaware | $95K | +5% | 520 |
| North Carolina | $94K | +4% | 2,690 |
| Oregon | $93K | +3% | 900 |
| Mississippi | $93K | +2% | 340 |
| Virginia | $90K | -0% | 1,530 |
| Rhode Island | $87K | -4% | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $85K | -6% | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $85K | -6% | 2,090 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -7% | 710 |
| Nevada | $84K | -7% | 200 |
| Maryland | $84K | -7% | 390 |
| Louisiana | $83K | -8% | 140 |
| Montana | $83K | -8% | 140 |
| Missouri | $83K | -9% | 2,110 |
| Tennessee | $83K | -9% | 550 |
| Iowa | $81K | -10% | 1,130 |
| South Dakota | $81K | -10% | 160 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -10% | 180 |
| Alabama | $81K | -11% | 690 |
| Kansas | $80K | -11% | 430 |
| Utah | $80K | -11% | 600 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -12% | 340 |
| Indiana | $78K | -13% | 340 |
| Nebraska | $78K | -14% | 750 |
| Texas | $78K | -14% | 6,060 |
| Arizona | $78K | -14% | 1,560 |
| Kentucky | $77K | -15% | 570 |
| Vermont | $76K | -16% | 110 |
| Georgia | $76K | -16% | 1,560 |
| Florida | $76K | -16% | 4,380 |
| Idaho | $75K | -17% | 230 |
| New Mexico | $73K | -19% | 130 |
| Arkansas | $73K | -20% | 350 |
| South Carolina | $72K | -20% | 360 |
| Alaska | $70K | -22% | 80 |
| Maine | $70K | -23% | 180 |
| Michigan | $66K | -27% | 630 |
| Ohio | $66K | -27% | 3,500 |
| Hawaii | $63K | -30% | 260 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -33% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track financial examiners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
How much do financial examiners make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $81,440 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,240, and experienced financial examiners can clear $166,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,175/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 24.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a financial examiners 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 financial examiners salary is worth about $86,953 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do financial examiners 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.