Columbia, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Columbia, SC?

In the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $105,200 a year ($50.58 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,950 of these jobs there. That is 127% above the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $63,030 and $293,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $78,323 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Columbia, SC at a glance

Median salary

$105,200$50.58 per hour · $8,767 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$63,030$30.30/hr
25th percentile$80,870$38.88/hr
75th percentile$169,160$81.33/hr
90th percentile$293,340$141.03/hr
Jobs in this metro1,950Location quotient 1.02 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here127% aboveAll-jobs median $46,430
Against South Carolina13% belowStatewide median $120,310
Against the U.S.34% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Columbia, SC after taxes

$105,200
$40,000$215,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$105,200
Net 74%
Fed 14%
SC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$78,323After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,527Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,012Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate25.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$14,314 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$4,515 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$8,048 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Columbia, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$30.30/hr$5,253$63,030$50,961
25th percentile$38.88/hr$6,739$80,870$62,676
MedianMedian$50.58/hr$8,767$105,200$78,323
75th percentile$81.33/hr$14,097$169,160$119,040
90th percentile$141.03/hr$24,445$293,340$196,687

Is $105,200 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers 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 household153.9%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Columbia, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Columbia, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Columbia, SC metro area was $105,200 in May 2025, about $8,767 a month or $50.58 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $120,310, so the metro pays 13% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Columbia, SC?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Columbia, SC was $50.58 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $30.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $141.03.

How many lawyers work in Columbia, SC?

BLS estimated 1,950 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.02 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Columbia, SC?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Columbia, SC run from $63,030 at the 10th percentile to $80,870 at the 25th, $169,160 at the 75th, and $293,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Columbia, SC?

On a median gross salary of $105,200, an estimated $78,323 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,012 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $26,877 (an effective rate of 25.5%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Columbia, SC?

On the median annual salary of $105,200, gross monthly income is $8,767. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $6,527 per month (or $3,012 every two weeks).

Is $105,200 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

At $105,200, the median salary for lawyers is 153.9% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 127% 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.