Real Estate Sales Agents Salary
Real Estate Sales Agents in Columbia, SC make a median of $49,480 a year, or about $23.79 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $52,829 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 37.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K 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 real estate sales agents
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What this looks like in Columbia
Real estate sales agents pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $53K 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 38% 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 real estate sales agents in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $60K | $60K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $77K | $78K |
| Florence | $51K | $59K |
| Asheville | $46K | $47K |
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 real estate sales agents (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $72K spread from bottom to top.
Real Estate Sales Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Real Estate Sales Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $124K | +134% | 590 |
| New York | $103K | +95% | 8,660 |
| New Jersey | $100K | +89% | N/A |
| Alaska | $89K | +69% | 170 |
| Nevada | $80K | +51% | 1,490 |
| Washington | $79K | +50% | 5,150 |
| Montana | $79K | +50% | 370 |
| New Mexico | $76K | +44% | 550 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +40% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $65K | +23% | 640 |
| Virginia | $64K | +21% | 5,750 |
| Colorado | $64K | +21% | 6,120 |
| Oregon | $62K | +17% | 1,940 |
| Alabama | $61K | +15% | 1,580 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +14% | N/A |
| Illinois | $59K | +12% | 6,030 |
| West Virginia | $59K | +12% | 370 |
| Arizona | $59K | +11% | 5,610 |
| Kentucky | $59K | +11% | 1,120 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +10% | 5,680 |
| Michigan | $58K | +10% | 2,210 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +9% | 240 |
| California | $58K | +9% | 17,500 |
| Maine | $57K | +8% | 740 |
| South Carolina | $57K | +7% | 4,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | +6% | 5,510 |
| Maryland | $53K | -0% | 2,940 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -3% | 7,960 |
| Utah | $51K | -4% | 4,240 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -5% | 300 |
| Florida | $49K | -7% | 26,790 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -9% | 3,710 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -11% | 1,400 |
| Delaware | $47K | -11% | 900 |
| Indiana | $47K | -11% | 3,680 |
| Connecticut | $47K | -11% | N/A |
| Georgia | $47K | -12% | 9,940 |
| Minnesota | $46K | -12% | 2,530 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -12% | 2,360 |
| Ohio | $46K | -12% | 5,130 |
| Hawaii | $46K | -13% | 690 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -13% | 1,940 |
| Texas | $46K | -13% | 22,250 |
| Missouri | $44K | -17% | 1,590 |
| Idaho | $40K | -25% | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $40K | -25% | 1,450 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -25% | 670 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -28% | 1,640 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track real estate sales agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 38% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for real estate sales agents in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new real estate sales agents typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,675/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is real estate sales agent a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for real estate sales agents?
Columbia pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do real estate sales agents make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $49,480 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,910, and experienced real estate sales agents can clear $100,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,355/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 38% 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 real estate sales agents 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 real estate sales agents salary is worth about $52,829 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do real estate sales agents 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.