Columbia, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Columbia, SC?

In the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $60,280 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,310 of these jobs there. That is 30% above the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $48,740 and $78,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $48,934 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Columbia, SC at a glance

Median salary

$60,280$5,023 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$48,740—
25th percentile$50,710—
75th percentile$75,180—
90th percentile$78,010—
Jobs in this metro3,310Location quotient 1.22 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% aboveAll-jobs median $46,430
Against South Carolina4% belowStatewide median $62,580
Against the U.S.16% belowNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Columbia, SC after taxes

$60,280
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$60,280
Net 81%
Fed 8%
SC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$48,934After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,078Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,882Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,054 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$1,681 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,611 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Columbia, SC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Columbia, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile—$4,062$48,740$40,427
25th percentile—$4,226$50,710$41,879
MedianMedian—$5,023$60,280$48,934
75th percentile—$6,265$75,180$59,050
90th percentile—$6,501$78,010$60,853

Is $60,280 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$68,359Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.76.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household88.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Columbia, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Columbia, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Columbia, SC metro area was $60,280 in May 2025, about $5,023 a month. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $62,580, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Columbia, SC?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Columbia, SC?

BLS estimated 3,310 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.22 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Columbia, SC?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Columbia, SC run from $48,740 at the 10th percentile to $50,710 at the 25th, $75,180 at the 75th, and $78,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Columbia, SC?

On a median gross salary of $60,280, an estimated $48,934 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,882 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,346 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Columbia, SC?

On the median annual salary of $60,280, gross monthly income is $5,023. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,078 per month (or $1,882 every two weeks).

Is $60,280 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

At $60,280, the median salary for high school teachers is 88.2% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 30% above the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.7, so prices here run 6.3% below the U.S. average.