Registered Nurses salary in Columbia, SC
Median pay for registered nurses in Columbia, SC: $78,470/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $61,290 – $97,990 · about 8,740 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$2,340 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Columbia
With Columbia's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $78,470 has the buying power of about $84,175 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 132nd of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Columbia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 124th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Columbia sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Columbia
A median home in Columbia, SC costs $256,154 — about 3.3× 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 24% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +138% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +131% | 2.1× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +128% | 2.4× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +101% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Columbia | Rent vs Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | $80,440 | +3% | 1.3× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $79,770 | +2% | 1.1× |
| Greenville, SC | $76,500 | −3% | 1× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $76,470 | −3% | 1× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Columbia
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of South Carolina · Government
- Prisma Health Midlands · Healthcare
- University of South Carolina · Education
- Fort Jackson · Government
- 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 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.