Jobs in Columbia, SC Pay, demand and occupations in this metropolitan area.
In short: Columbia, SC: 394,200 jobs, median pay $46,430 a year.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
$46,430 median pay
394,200 jobs
15 cities listed
$101,760 top (90th pct.)
Overview Largest occupations Top pay Fields Cities Open jobs FAQ Sources Overview METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025
Columbia, SC is a metropolitan area in South Carolina . BLS counts 394,200 wage-and-salary jobs here, with a median pay of $46,430 a year (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,330 and the highest-paid tenth more than $101,760).
Cities in our guides that belong to this area: Columbia , Lexington , St. Andrews , West Columbia , Seven Oaks , Dentsville , Cayce , Oak Grove , Irmo , Red Bank , Forest Acres , Lugoff .
Private-sector jobs → Federal jobs → All metro areas
Largest occupations METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025
The 40 largest occupations here (at least 100 jobs).
Sort: Occupation Jobs Median pay Entry (10th pct.) Top (90th pct.) Location quotient A–Z / Smallest first ▲ Z–A / Largest first ▼
Occupation ⇅ Jobs ⇅ Median pay ⇅ Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ Top (90th pct.) ⇅ Location quotient ⇅ Fast Food and Counter Workers 11,640 $27,170 $22,440 $34,360 1.19 Retail Salespersons 10,860 $29,540 $22,110 $43,840 1.10 Customer Service Representatives 10,430 $37,430 $30,000 $54,490 1.59 Stockers and Order Fillers 9,470 $37,180 $29,750 $43,340 1.32 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 9,410 $37,530 $29,800 $47,440 1.26 Registered Nurses 9,400 $81,920 $68,460 $108,210 1.10 Cashiers 8,700 $27,830 $21,840 $34,790 1.11 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 7,740 $30,210 $23,960 $35,560 0.71 Office Clerks, General 7,260 $38,320 $23,000 $57,980 1.16 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 6,610 $45,620 $30,760 $62,260 1.53 Waiters and Waitresses 6,580 $17,810 $15,080 $43,540 1.14 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 6,120 $62,230 $43,610 $95,560 1.68 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,630 $51,280 $37,750 $78,990 1.08 Nursing Assistants 5,420 $37,400 $30,450 $45,920 1.48 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,320 $32,170 $23,620 $43,860 0.95 Security Guards 5,290 $35,140 $28,120 $45,790 1.63 General and Operations Managers 4,890 $103,950 $54,080 $214,420 0.55 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 4,680 $46,870 $33,300 $69,470 1.21 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 4,360 $60,050 $48,170 $76,010 1.24 Cooks, Restaurant 3,520 $35,490 $26,870 $43,220 0.99 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 3,400 $48,570 $32,980 $120,880 1.07 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,310 $60,280 $48,740 $78,010 1.22 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 3,290 $62,470 $36,260 $133,400 1.05 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 3,260 $46,690 $33,770 $67,080 0.94 Accountants and Auditors 3,260 $69,210 $48,530 $109,040 0.89 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,150 $42,230 $29,950 $55,320 0.88 Management Analysts 3,120 $93,250 $49,120 $157,820 1.37 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 3,110 $37,880 $27,990 $58,730 1.00 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 2,920 $47,680 $30,240 $76,340 1.03 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 2,840 $59,260 $46,650 $98,840 1.67 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 2,680 $27,860 $22,430 $45,510 0.74 Construction Laborers 2,610 $42,630 $30,300 $62,420 0.94 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 2,500 $48,080 $31,680 $78,430 1.40 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 2,450 $59,400 $48,760 $77,360 1.56 Project Management Specialists 2,430 $85,260 $54,250 $147,460 0.90 Human Resources Specialists 2,270 $67,990 $46,200 $111,550 0.98 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 2,230 $40,160 $34,480 $51,360 0.91 Medical Assistants 2,190 $40,680 $35,410 $47,540 1.06 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 2,170 $41,240 $30,440 $58,010 1.05 Computer Systems Analysts 2,110 $90,760 $52,720 $133,910 1.60
Top pay METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025
The 40 highest-paying occupations among those with at least 300 jobs.
Sort: Occupation Jobs Median pay Entry (10th pct.) Top (90th pct.) Location quotient A–Z / Smallest first ▲ Z–A / Largest first ▼
Occupation ⇅ Jobs ⇅ Median pay ⇅ Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ Top (90th pct.) ⇅ Location quotient ⇅ Physicians, All Other 1,050 $374,300 $99,230 $501,690 1.21 Dentists, General 480 $228,820 $104,860 $310,840 1.53 Chief Executives 320 $176,890 $81,450 $353,060 0.61 Architectural and Engineering Managers 360 $162,260 $111,360 $232,130 0.64 Computer and Information Systems Managers 990 $141,570 $87,410 $222,560 0.58 Marketing Managers 560 $136,930 $78,920 $273,130 0.56 Pharmacists 1,050 $133,850 $81,390 $169,540 1.29 Managers, All Other 410 $129,960 $71,080 $193,190 0.26 Sales Managers 1,360 $128,650 $60,030 $214,840 0.84 Industrial Production Managers 850 $128,050 $78,020 $196,910 1.36 Financial Managers 1,800 $124,790 $77,490 $235,240 0.85 Software Developers 2,070 $123,380 $70,950 $172,460 0.48 Nurse Practitioners 920 $118,470 $97,010 $150,700 1.12 Physician Assistants 400 $115,840 $91,980 $155,600 0.97 Construction Managers 820 $112,180 $74,380 $180,570 0.85 Human Resources Managers 460 $109,440 $67,430 $190,420 0.83 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products 450 $109,080 $48,330 $200,180 0.63 Medical and Health Services Managers 1,640 $107,280 $69,520 $186,080 1.08 Lawyers 1,950 $105,200 $63,030 $293,340 1.02 General and Operations Managers 4,890 $103,950 $54,080 $214,420 0.55 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 370 $102,890 $62,150 $163,030 0.65 Mechanical Engineers 450 $102,280 $72,120 $150,630 0.60 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary 960 $101,830 $78,880 $130,410 1.15 Information Security Analysts 370 $101,330 $64,410 $161,370 0.76 Electrical Engineers 510 $101,320 $69,260 $154,870 1.01 Physical Therapists 670 $99,840 $64,880 $118,260 0.98 Industrial Engineers 760 $98,780 $73,510 $138,280 0.82 Civil Engineers 1,070 $94,520 $66,490 $147,430 1.14 Management Analysts 3,120 $93,250 $49,120 $157,820 1.37 Computer Occupations, All Other 770 $91,920 $41,990 $153,780 0.70 Computer Systems Analysts 2,110 $90,760 $52,720 $133,910 1.60 Data Scientists 590 $88,260 $52,350 $138,960 0.89 Speech-Language Pathologists 390 $87,820 $60,890 $115,210 0.84 Financial and Investment Analysts 530 $87,630 $56,680 $157,480 0.58 Project Management Specialists 2,430 $85,260 $54,250 $147,460 0.90 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 320 $84,440 $69,530 $97,220 1.41 Registered Nurses 9,400 $81,920 $68,460 $108,210 1.10 Operations Research Analysts 300 $79,560 $49,080 $103,540 1.10 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 400 $79,160 $49,560 $121,680 1.13 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1,540 $77,400 $48,310 $126,440 0.56
Fields METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025
Sort: Field Jobs Median pay Location quotient A–Z / Smallest first ▲ Z–A / Largest first ▼
Field ⇅ Jobs ⇅ Median pay ⇅ Location quotient ⇅ Office and Administrative Support 55,110 $43,520 1.22 Transportation and Material Moving 36,320 $37,230 1.05 Sales and Related 35,770 $34,730 1.05 Food Preparation and Serving Related 34,910 $27,980 1.01 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 27,360 $77,870 1.10 Business and Financial Operations 24,320 $74,660 0.91 Educational Instruction and Library 22,190 $59,530 0.96 Production 21,430 $46,000 0.99 Management 21,410 $105,850 0.76 Healthcare Support 18,590 $35,550 0.93 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 17,400 $52,420 1.13 Protective Service 12,800 $42,570 1.34 Construction and Extraction 12,590 $49,660 0.77 Computer and Mathematical 11,430 $84,450 0.86 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance 10,430 $34,320 0.90 Personal Care and Service 7,480 $30,260 0.91 Community and Social Service 7,100 $52,270 1.05 Architecture and Engineering 5,500 $84,020 0.83 Legal 4,240 $73,060 1.28 Life, Physical, and Social Science 3,610 $64,410 0.97 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,580 $50,430 0.69 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 640 $36,580 0.58
Cities CITY Official statistic Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024
Sort: City State Population Median rent A–Z / Smallest first ▲ Z–A / Largest first ▼
City ⇅ State ⇅ Population ⇅ Median rent ⇅ Columbia South Carolina 139,643 $1,204 Lexington South Carolina 24,585 $1,545 St. Andrews South Carolina 19,868 $1,088 West Columbia South Carolina 17,963 $1,201 Seven Oaks South Carolina 15,921 $1,246 Dentsville South Carolina 15,209 $1,250 Cayce South Carolina 13,741 $1,360 Oak Grove South Carolina 12,256 $1,045 Irmo South Carolina 11,813 $1,477 Red Bank South Carolina 11,314 $1,160 Forest Acres South Carolina 10,530 $1,263 Lugoff South Carolina 9,786 $915 Woodfield South Carolina 9,465 $1,169 White Knoll South Carolina 8,310 $1,180 Camden South Carolina 8,267 $956
FAQ How many jobs are there in Columbia, SC? BLS counts 394,200 wage-and-salary jobs (OEWS, May 2025).
What is the median pay in Columbia, SC? $46,430 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Which occupation pays most in Columbia, SC? Physicians, All Other, with a median of $374,300 among occupations with at least 300 jobs.
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