SOC 29-1223 · Columbia, SC metro

Psychiatrists Salary in Columbia, SC

The average salary for psychiatrists in Columbia, South Carolina is $242,880 a year ($116.77 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $251,060: half of the 90 people in this job in the Columbia, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($269,940).

$242,880average per year

$116.77 / hourMedian $251,060Take-home ≈ $166,820

  • $147K10th
  • $217K25th
  • $251KMedian
  • $282K75th
  • $304K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

90people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#1 of 2South Carolina metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Psychiatrists pay range in Columbia

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $147,100 a year or less, while the top 10% make $303,590 or more. The middle half of psychiatrists in Columbia earn between $217,060 and $281,770.

  • $147K10th
  • $217K25th
  • $251KMedian
  • $282K75th
  • $304K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$242,880$20,240$116.77
Median$251,060$20,922$120.70
Entry level (25th percentile)$217,060$18,088$104.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$281,770$23,481$135.47

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Psychiatrists pay in Columbia vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Psychiatrists in Columbia earn 7% more than the South Carolina average ($226,360) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($269,940). At the median the gap is -11% against the U.S. median of $281,870.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Columbia$242,880$251,060$147,100$303,59090
South Carolina$226,360$237,250$129,250$308,430200
United States$269,940$281,870$84,060$446,52027,980

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Psychiatrists salary after taxes in Columbia

On the average salary of $242,880, a single filer in Columbia takes home about $166,820 a year, or $13,902 a month and $6,416 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

South Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Columbia a good place for psychiatrists? 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 $242,880 buys what about $259,315 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 5.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbia ($46,430). A typical home costs $256,154, or 1.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $242,880 is worth in another city

Psychiatrists salary in other South Carolina cities

Columbia ranks 1st of 2 South Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Psychiatrists salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for psychiatrists

Miami, FL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($378,670).

Psychiatrists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Psychiatrists in Columbia, SC.

Psychiatrists salary in Columbia: questions

How much do psychiatrists make an hour in Columbia?

$116.77 an hour on average, and $120.70 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level psychiatrists salary in Columbia?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $147,100 a year and the 25th percentile is $217,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the psychiatrists take-home pay in Columbia?

About $166,820 a year ($13,902 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $242,880.

Do psychiatrists earn more in Columbia than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($269,940).

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 29-1223; area Columbia, SC (17900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.23, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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