Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary
The median pay for a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Columbia, SC is $42,510/year ($20.44/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $45,388 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 44% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $43K 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 43.6% 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $40K | $40K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $36K | $39K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $37K | $38K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $40K | $40K |
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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $63K | +36% | N/A |
| Delaware | $54K | +17% | 40 |
| Oregon | $52K | +11% | 290 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +11% | 60 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +9% | 280 |
| Ohio | $50K | +8% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $49K | +6% | 120 |
| Kansas | $49K | +6% | 520 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +6% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +5% | 360 |
| Arizona | $49K | +5% | 210 |
| Virginia | $49K | +5% | 240 |
| Indiana | $49K | +5% | 950 |
| New York | $48K | +4% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Illinois | $48K | +4% | 1,040 |
| North Carolina | $48K | +4% | 360 |
| Nevada | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Idaho | $48K | +3% | 610 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +3% | 380 |
| Washington | $47K | +2% | 470 |
| Tennessee | $47K | +2% | N/A |
| Colorado | $47K | +1% | 960 |
| Iowa | $47K | +1% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -0% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | -0% | 540 |
| Utah | $45K | -2% | 360 |
| Florida | $45K | -2% | 4,530 |
| California | $45K | -3% | 2,260 |
| Missouri | $45K | -3% | 450 |
| Michigan | $44K | -4% | 860 |
| Maryland | $44K | -4% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $44K | -4% | 320 |
| Alabama | $43K | -6% | 320 |
| Maine | $40K | -13% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -15% | 290 |
| Georgia | $39K | -16% | 1,300 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -16% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -18% | 610 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -18% | 490 |
| Montana | $38K | -19% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -20% | 370 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -23% | 650 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -43% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 43.6% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,171/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations?
Columbia pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $42,510 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,350, and experienced pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations can clear $50,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,925/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 43.6% 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary is worth about $45,388 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations 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.