What jobs pay in Columbia
$59,030avg. a year, all jobs
$28.38 an hour · 394,200 employed
Average and median pay for 19 common jobs in the Columbia, SC metro area, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025.
Top-paying jobs in Columbia
Average annual pay, May 2025 (jobs on this site)
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Pay for 19 jobs in Columbia
Sorted by number of jobs. We list the jobs with the most workers in this metro area.
| Job | Avg. pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,080 | 11,640 |
| Retail Salespersons | $32,590 | 10,860 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,540 | 10,430 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,100 | 9,470 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,740 | 9,410 |
| Registered Nurses | $88,030 | 9,400 |
| Cashiers | $27,930 | 8,700 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $30,730 | 7,740 |
| Office Clerks, General | $39,960 | 7,260 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,150 | 6,610 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $23,610 | 6,580 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $67,600 | 6,120 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,240 | 5,630 |
| Nursing Assistants | $37,100 | 5,420 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $33,320 | 5,320 |
| Security Guards | $36,000 | 5,290 |
| General and Operations Managers | $124,950 | 4,890 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $49,440 | 4,680 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,300 | 4,360 |
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Metro area: Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 17900). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.