Physician Assistants salary in Columbia, SC
Median pay for physician assistants in Columbia, SC: $118,380/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $87,980 – $131,270 · about 470 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($125,700) by −$7,320 (-6%).
What it's really worth in Columbia
With Columbia's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $118,380 has the buying power of about $126,986 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $63,471 · median home $256,154 · median rent $1,537/mo.
How Columbia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Columbia, SC is 133rd of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Columbia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 106th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Columbia is one of the places where physician assistants gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Columbia
A median home in Columbia, SC costs $256,154 — about 2.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,537/mo works out at 16% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physician assistants earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Columbia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Columbia | Rent vs Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +76% | 2.4× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +48% | 1.6× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +45% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +45% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Columbia | Rent vs Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | $117,340 | −1% | 1.3× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $112,040 | −5% | 1× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $111,050 | −6% | 1.1× |
| Greenville, SC | $109,400 | −8% | 1× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around Columbia
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Prisma Health Midlands · Healthcare
- University of South Carolina · Education
- Lexington Medical Center · Healthcare
Other jobs in Columbia
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.