Psychiatrists Salary
The median pay for a psychiatrists in Columbia, SC is $251,060/year ($120.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $147K at the entry level to $304K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $268,055 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 9% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $251K 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 psychiatrists
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for psychiatrists in Columbia runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $282K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,276/month, 9.1% 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 psychiatrists who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for psychiatrists in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $277K | $277K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $169K | $172K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $170K | $174K |
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 psychiatrists (10th percentile) start around $147K. Mid-career wages sit at $251K. Top earners bring in $304K or more, a $156K spread from bottom to top.
Psychiatrists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Psychiatrists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $354K | +25% | 5,420 |
| Louisiana | $345K | +22% | 90 |
| Alaska | $342K | +21% | 50 |
| Minnesota | $336K | +19% | 580 |
| Wisconsin | $331K | +17% | 550 |
| Connecticut | $327K | +16% | 560 |
| Florida | $316K | +12% | 1,930 |
| Oregon | $315K | +12% | 430 |
| Missouri | $313K | +11% | 240 |
| Maryland | $305K | +8% | 460 |
| Washington | $305K | +8% | 360 |
| Vermont | $303K | +7% | 80 |
| Maine | $300K | +6% | 80 |
| Utah | $300K | +6% | 260 |
| Iowa | $295K | +5% | 170 |
| Virginia | $295K | +5% | 370 |
| Michigan | $292K | +4% | 560 |
| Hawaii | $290K | +3% | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $288K | +2% | 270 |
| Indiana | $284K | +1% | 410 |
| Delaware | $279K | -1% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $279K | -1% | 830 |
| Kansas | $278K | -1% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $272K | -4% | 80 |
| Colorado | $266K | -5% | 270 |
| New York | $266K | -6% | 4,130 |
| Illinois | $259K | -8% | 870 |
| Arizona | $250K | -11% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $246K | -13% | 90 |
| Ohio | $245K | -13% | 690 |
| Kentucky | $238K | -16% | 160 |
| Georgia | $237K | -16% | 470 |
| South Carolina | $237K | -16% | 200 |
| Texas | $228K | -19% | 1,690 |
| New Mexico | $228K | -19% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $226K | -20% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $215K | -24% | 410 |
| Mississippi | $214K | -24% | 110 |
| Nevada | $210K | -25% | 90 |
| New Jersey | $194K | -31% | 1,290 |
| District of Columbia | $183K | -35% | 310 |
| North Carolina | $169K | -40% | 620 |
| Nebraska | $135K | -52% | 180 |
| Arkansas | $125K | -56% | 150 |
| Idaho | $75K | -73% | 110 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -78% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track psychiatrists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a psychiatrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
Yes — at the median salary of $251K, rent takes 9.1% 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 psychiatrists in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new psychiatrists typically earn — is $147K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $8,626/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 15% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is psychiatrist a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $251K here vs. $282K 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 psychiatrists?
Columbia pays $251K median vs. the U.S. average of $282K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $268K — below the national median.
How much do psychiatrists make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $251,060 a year, that works out to about $121 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $147,100, and experienced psychiatrists can clear $303,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $251K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $14,083/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 9.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a psychiatrists 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 psychiatrists salary is worth about $268,055 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do psychiatrists 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.