Physician Assistants Salary
The median pay for a physician assistants in Columbia, SC is $115,840/year ($55.69/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $92K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $123,681 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 17.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $116K 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 physician assistants
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for physician assistants in Columbia runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $136K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,276/month, 18.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Columbia can be a reasonable trade-off for physician assistantss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physician assistants in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $129K | $128K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $123K | $132K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $126K | $134K |
| Florence | $120K | $139K |
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 physician assistants (10th percentile) start around $92K. Mid-career wages sit at $116K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Physician Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physician Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $166K | +22% | 4,790 |
| California | $166K | +22% | 13,600 |
| Washington | $164K | +21% | 3,540 |
| Hawaii | $164K | +21% | 530 |
| New York | $161K | +18% | 19,140 |
| Oregon | $156K | +15% | 2,250 |
| New Hampshire | $151K | +11% | 1,060 |
| Alaska | $151K | +11% | 700 |
| Vermont | $150K | +11% | 410 |
| Massachusetts | $142K | +5% | 4,470 |
| Montana | $141K | +4% | 600 |
| Minnesota | $141K | +4% | 3,660 |
| Rhode Island | $140K | +3% | 810 |
| New Mexico | $140K | +3% | 700 |
| Connecticut | $140K | +3% | 3,570 |
| Delaware | $139K | +3% | 860 |
| Maryland | $138K | +1% | 2,950 |
| Oklahoma | $137K | +0% | 1,770 |
| Wyoming | $136K | +0% | 330 |
| Virginia | $136K | +0% | 4,340 |
| District of Columbia | $135K | -1% | 470 |
| Missouri | $135K | -1% | 2,300 |
| Iowa | $135K | -1% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $135K | -1% | 1,610 |
| Nevada | $135K | -1% | 1,090 |
| Arizona | $135K | -1% | 3,750 |
| Texas | $135K | -1% | 10,110 |
| Colorado | $135K | -1% | 3,270 |
| Wisconsin | $134K | -1% | 3,580 |
| Idaho | $134K | -2% | 1,320 |
| North Dakota | $133K | -2% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $133K | -2% | 680 |
| Nebraska | $133K | -2% | 1,330 |
| Ohio | $132K | -3% | 4,900 |
| Indiana | $132K | -3% | 2,110 |
| Illinois | $132K | -3% | 3,790 |
| Michigan | $132K | -3% | 6,310 |
| Maine | $131K | -3% | 1,030 |
| Florida | $130K | -5% | 9,310 |
| North Carolina | $129K | -5% | 7,490 |
| Louisiana | $129K | -5% | 1,360 |
| West Virginia | $129K | -5% | 1,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $127K | -6% | 9,020 |
| Kansas | $126K | -8% | 890 |
| South Carolina | $122K | -10% | 2,250 |
| Kentucky | $121K | -11% | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $118K | -13% | 850 |
| Tennessee | $118K | -13% | 2,240 |
| Georgia | $115K | -15% | 5,610 |
| Mississippi | $106K | -22% | 320 |
| Alabama | $105K | -23% | 930 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track physician assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a physician assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
Yes — at the median salary of $116K, rent takes 18.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for physician assistants in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physician assistants typically earn — is $92K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,519/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is physician assistant a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $116K here vs. $136K 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 physician assistants?
Columbia pays $116K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $124K — below the national median.
How much do physician assistants make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $115,840 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $91,980, and experienced physician assistants can clear $155,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $116K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,008/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 18.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a physician assistants 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 physician assistants salary is worth about $123,681 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physician assistants 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.