Occupational Health and Safety Technicians Salary
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians in Columbia, SC make a median of $50,900 a year, or about $24.47 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $54,346 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 38.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in Columbia, month by month
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 occupational health and safety technicians
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for occupational health and safety technicians in Columbia runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 37.1% 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 occupational health and safety technicians.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational health and safety technicians in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $59K | $63K |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $57K | $56K |
| Spartanburg | $54K | $59K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $68K | $68K |
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 occupational health and safety technicians (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Health and Safety Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $105K | +70% | 570 |
| Rhode Island | $85K | +37% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $81K | +32% | 320 |
| Alaska | $81K | +31% | 140 |
| New Mexico | $79K | +29% | 790 |
| Minnesota | $74K | +21% | 270 |
| Colorado | $73K | +19% | 400 |
| New York | $70K | +13% | 1,410 |
| Massachusetts | $69K | +12% | 290 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +11% | 130 |
| Wyoming | $68K | +11% | 80 |
| Michigan | $67K | +9% | 450 |
| New Jersey | $67K | +9% | 270 |
| Illinois | $66K | +7% | 1,790 |
| Arizona | $65K | +6% | 440 |
| Oregon | $65K | +6% | 230 |
| Ohio | $65K | +6% | 1,310 |
| Maryland | $65K | +5% | 280 |
| Missouri | $64K | +5% | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | +5% | 640 |
| Maine | $64K | +4% | 140 |
| Georgia | $63K | +3% | 1,210 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +2% | 50 |
| Virginia | $62K | +1% | 840 |
| Delaware | $62K | +1% | 150 |
| Vermont | $62K | +1% | 80 |
| Nevada | $62K | +0% | 440 |
| North Carolina | $62K | +0% | 720 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | +0% | 1,020 |
| California | $61K | -0% | 2,650 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -1% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -1% | 650 |
| Idaho | $61K | -1% | 240 |
| Indiana | $60K | -2% | 1,660 |
| Kansas | $60K | -3% | 480 |
| Nebraska | $59K | -4% | 200 |
| Florida | $59K | -4% | 1,000 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -5% | 420 |
| Iowa | $58K | -5% | 290 |
| Texas | $58K | -6% | 4,420 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -6% | 780 |
| Utah | $57K | -7% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $56K | -8% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $56K | -9% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -11% | 310 |
| Alabama | $55K | -11% | 880 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -17% | 510 |
| Montana | $41K | -33% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track occupational health and safety technicians 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 occupational health and safety technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 37.1% 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 occupational health and safety technicians in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational health and safety technicians typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,921/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is occupational health and safety technician a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $51K here vs. $62K 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 occupational health and safety technicians?
Columbia pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do occupational health and safety technicians make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $50,900 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,440, and experienced occupational health and safety technicians can clear $74,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,442/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 37.1% 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 occupational health and safety technicians 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 occupational health and safety technicians salary is worth about $54,346 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational health and safety technicians 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.