Pharmacy Aides Salary
The median pay for a pharmacy aides in Columbia, SC is $35,570/year ($17.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $37,978 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 52.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K 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 pharmacy aides
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pharmacy aides pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 51.1% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pharmacy aides in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $36K | $36K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $36K | $38K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $39K | $39K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $36K | $37K |
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 pharmacy aides (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Pharmacy Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pharmacy Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60K | +59% | 120 |
| Utah | $52K | +37% | 250 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +23% | 110 |
| Washington | $45K | +20% | 1,990 |
| Arizona | $43K | +15% | 810 |
| California | $42K | +12% | 8,440 |
| Oregon | $40K | +7% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $39K | +5% | 1,210 |
| Nevada | $39K | +4% | 410 |
| Texas | $39K | +3% | 2,900 |
| Delaware | $39K | +2% | 130 |
| Maine | $38K | +1% | 150 |
| New York | $38K | +1% | 2,360 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +1% | N/A |
| Missouri | $38K | +0% | 650 |
| Idaho | $38K | +0% | 110 |
| Colorado | $38K | -0% | 370 |
| Ohio | $38K | -0% | 690 |
| Minnesota | $37K | -1% | 550 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -1% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | -1% | 50 |
| Vermont | $37K | -1% | 90 |
| Montana | $37K | -1% | 210 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -2% | 60 |
| Illinois | $37K | -2% | 1,180 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -2% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -3% | 550 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -3% | 1,020 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -3% | 180 |
| Virginia | $36K | -3% | 510 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -4% | 490 |
| Alabama | $36K | -4% | 460 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -4% | 360 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -4% | 150 |
| Michigan | $36K | -4% | 880 |
| Indiana | $36K | -5% | 610 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -6% | 1,180 |
| Maryland | $35K | -7% | 420 |
| Florida | $35K | -7% | 1,590 |
| Georgia | $35K | -8% | 1,410 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -8% | 600 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -11% | 730 |
| Iowa | $33K | -12% | 1,070 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 470 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -16% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -19% | 700 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -20% | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -25% | 660 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pharmacy aides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a pharmacy aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 51.1% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pharmacy aides in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pharmacy aides typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,045/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pharmacy aide a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for pharmacy aides?
Columbia pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pharmacy aides make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $35,570 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,080, and experienced pharmacy aides can clear $42,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,498/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 51.1% 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 pharmacy aides 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 pharmacy aides salary is worth about $37,978 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pharmacy aides 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.