Tellers Salary
In Columbia, SC, tellers earn $43,560 at the median, or about $20.94 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $46,509 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $44K 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 tellers
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What this looks like in Columbia
Tellers pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 42.7% 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 tellers in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $45K | $45K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $45K | $49K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $39K | $41K |
| Spartanburg | $44K | $49K |
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 tellers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Tellers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tellers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $48K | +11% | 9,180 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +10% | 10,270 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +9% | 7,190 |
| California | $47K | +9% | 25,230 |
| Alaska | $47K | +9% | 1,020 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +8% | 3,220 |
| Colorado | $46K | +7% | 5,370 |
| Maryland | $46K | +7% | 3,860 |
| District of Columbia | $46K | +6% | 700 |
| Florida | $46K | +6% | 14,700 |
| Delaware | $45K | +5% | 1,400 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +5% | 830 |
| Arizona | $45K | +5% | 3,770 |
| Virginia | $45K | +5% | 7,410 |
| Nevada | $45K | +5% | 1,850 |
| North Carolina | $45K | +4% | 5,260 |
| New Hampshire | $44K | +3% | 1,550 |
| Oregon | $44K | +3% | 2,990 |
| New York | $44K | +3% | 15,040 |
| Minnesota | $44K | +3% | 5,740 |
| Vermont | $44K | +2% | 930 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +2% | 1,760 |
| Maine | $43K | -0% | 2,410 |
| Idaho | $42K | -2% | 2,690 |
| South Carolina | $42K | -2% | 4,400 |
| Georgia | $42K | -3% | 7,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -7% | 14,800 |
| Ohio | $40K | -7% | 13,890 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | -8% | 9,030 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -9% | 1,990 |
| Michigan | $39K | -9% | 13,420 |
| Indiana | $39K | -10% | 8,400 |
| Illinois | $39K | -10% | 16,960 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -11% | 1,560 |
| Iowa | $38K | -11% | 5,470 |
| Utah | $38K | -11% | 4,790 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -11% | 970 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -11% | 4,590 |
| Montana | $38K | -12% | 1,660 |
| Texas | $38K | -12% | 25,860 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -12% | 2,330 |
| Alabama | $37K | -13% | 6,770 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -14% | 5,350 |
| Kansas | $37K | -14% | 4,720 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -14% | 3,750 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -15% | 7,560 |
| Missouri | $37K | -15% | 10,030 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -17% | 7,230 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -17% | 4,250 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -17% | 4,900 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -20% | 2,620 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track tellers salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a teller afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 42.7% 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 tellers in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tellers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,436/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is teller a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for tellers?
Columbia pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tellers make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $43,560 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,570, and experienced tellers can clear $48,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,990/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 42.7% 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 tellers 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 tellers salary is worth about $46,509 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tellers 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.