Chief Executives pay range in Columbia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,450 a year or less, while the top 10% make $353,060 or more. The middle half of chief executives in Columbia earn between $132,120 and $254,990.
- $81K10th
- $132K25th
- $177KMedian
- $255K75th
- $353K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $206,310 | $17,192 | $99.19 |
| Median | $176,890 | $14,741 | $85.04 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $132,120 | $11,010 | $63.52 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $254,990 | $21,249 | $122.59 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chief Executives salary after taxes in Columbia
On the average salary of $206,310, a single filer in Columbia takes home about $143,792 a year, or $11,983 a month and $5,530 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Columbia a good place for chief executives? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Columbia area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.7), so the average $206,310 buys what about $220,271 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbia ($46,430). A typical home costs $256,154, or 1.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Chief Executives salary in other South Carolina cities
Columbia ranks 4th of 7 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Spartanburg pays the most ($231,780).
- Spartanburg$231,780
- Charleston$226,000
- Greenville$207,640
- Columbia$206,310
- Florence$201,720
- Myrtle Beach$194,380
- Hilton Head Island$183,470
Highest-paying cities for chief executives
Medford, OR pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($503,650).
- Medford, OR$503,650
- Midland, MI$493,680
- Bridgeport, CT$447,290
- Durham, NC$425,580
- Portland, OR$420,320
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Chief Executives salary in Columbia: questions
How much do chief executives make an hour in Columbia?
$99.19 an hour on average, and $85.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chief executives salary in Columbia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,450 a year and the 25th percentile is $132,120, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chief executives take-home pay in Columbia?
About $143,792 a year ($11,983 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $206,310.
Do chief executives earn more in Columbia than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($281,693).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 11-1011; area Columbia, SC (17900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).
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