Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary
The median pay for a packers and packagers, hand in Columbia, SC is $31,240/year ($15.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $33,355 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 59.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K 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 packers and packagers, hands
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for packers and packagers, hand in Columbia runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 57.2% 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 packers and packagers, hands.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for packers and packagers, hands in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $34K | $37K |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $29K | $29K |
| Spartanburg | $32K | $36K |
| Florence | $25K | $28K |
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 packers and packagers, hands (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Packers and Packagers, Hand pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Packers and Packagers, Hand salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $44K | +23% | 9,900 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +21% | 71,260 |
| Alaska | $42K | +15% | 560 |
| District of Columbia | $41K | +13% | 170 |
| Colorado | $41K | +12% | 4,120 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +11% | 5,460 |
| Vermont | $39K | +9% | 810 |
| Washington | $39K | +8% | 11,940 |
| Nebraska | $39K | +7% | 3,010 |
| Missouri | $38K | +4% | 5,910 |
| Iowa | $37K | +3% | 4,090 |
| Indiana | $37K | +3% | 9,690 |
| Nevada | $37K | +3% | 3,750 |
| Delaware | $37K | +3% | 2,030 |
| California | $37K | +3% | 79,730 |
| New York | $37K | +3% | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $37K | +2% | 7,380 |
| Ohio | $37K | +2% | 20,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | +2% | 22,990 |
| Idaho | $37K | +2% | 2,020 |
| Kentucky | $37K | +2% | 5,900 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +1% | 1,830 |
| Maine | $36K | +0% | 1,460 |
| Oregon | $36K | -0% | 6,370 |
| Illinois | $36K | -1% | 23,270 |
| Utah | $36K | -1% | 5,740 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -1% | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -1% | 14,030 |
| Hawaii | $36K | -1% | 2,010 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -1% | 4,280 |
| Maryland | $36K | -1% | 4,230 |
| Michigan | $35K | -3% | 15,590 |
| Virginia | $35K | -4% | 7,790 |
| Montana | $35K | -4% | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -5% | 3,900 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -5% | 19,600 |
| Massachusetts | $34K | -6% | 15,330 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -6% | 3,050 |
| Georgia | $33K | -8% | 17,380 |
| Mississippi | $33K | -8% | 3,490 |
| Texas | $33K | -9% | 46,510 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -11% | 7,610 |
| Wyoming | $32K | -11% | 340 |
| Alabama | $32K | -12% | 7,050 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -13% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $31K | -15% | 3,300 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -21% | 1,040 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -21% | 1,140 |
| Florida | $28K | -22% | 38,860 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -23% | 1,050 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -24% | 2,280 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track packers and packagers, hand salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a packers and packagers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 57.2% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for packers and packagers, hands in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new packers and packagers, hands typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,530/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 83% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is packers and packagers, hand a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $31K here vs. $36K 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 packers and packagers, hands?
Columbia pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do packers and packagers, hands make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $31,240 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,500, and experienced packers and packagers, hands can clear $40,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,229/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 57.2% 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 packers and packagers, hand 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 packers and packagers, hand salary is worth about $33,355 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do packers and packagers, hands 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.