Columbia, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical assistant make in Columbia, SC?

In the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $40,680 a year ($19.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,190 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,410 and $47,540; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,352 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in Columbia, SC at a glance

Median salary

$40,680$19.56 per hour · $3,390 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,410$17.02/hr
25th percentile$37,290$17.93/hr
75th percentile$45,770$22.00/hr
90th percentile$47,540$22.86/hr
Jobs in this metro2,190Location quotient 1.06 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $46,430
Against South Carolina1% belowStatewide median $41,160
Against the U.S.11% belowNational median $45,690

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.

Medical assistant salary in Columbia, SC after taxes

$40,680
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$40,680
Net 84%
Fed 7%
SC 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,352After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,863Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,321Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,702 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$515 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,112 / yr

Medical assistants 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 medical assistants earned in the Columbia, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$17.02/hr$2,951$35,410$30,226
25th percentile$17.93/hr$3,108$37,290$31,699
MedianMedian$19.56/hr$3,390$40,680$34,352
75th percentile$22.00/hr$3,814$45,770$38,237
90th percentile$22.86/hr$3,962$47,540$39,542

Is $40,680 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical assistants 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 household59.5%of area median income

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

Medical assistant pay in Columbia, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for medical assistants in Columbia, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the Columbia, SC metro area was $40,680 in May 2025, about $3,390 a month or $19.56 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $41,160, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical assistants in Columbia, SC?

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in Columbia, SC was $19.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.02 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.86.

How many medical assistants work in Columbia, SC?

BLS estimated 2,190 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.06 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical assistants in Columbia, SC?

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in Columbia, SC run from $35,410 at the 10th percentile to $37,290 at the 25th, $45,770 at the 75th, and $47,540 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $40,680, an estimated $34,352 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,321 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,328 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do medical assistants make per month in Columbia, SC?

On the median annual salary of $40,680, gross monthly income is $3,390. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,863 per month (or $1,321 every two weeks).

Is $40,680 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

At $40,680, the median salary for medical assistants is 59.5% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 12% below 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.