High paying medical jobs in Columbia, SC

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Columbia, SC. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Columbia, SC run 6.3% below the national average (2024), so a Columbia, SC salary is worth about 1.07× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Columbia, SC

OccupationMedian, Columbia, SC · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$374,300
Doctoral or professional degree
$99,230 – $501,6901,050
2Nurse Anesthetists$271,350
Master's degree
$214,000 – $333,030210
3Dentists, General$228,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$104,860 – $310,840480
4Pharmacists$133,850
Doctoral or professional degree
$81,390 – $169,5401,050
5Veterinarians$129,960
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,510 – $220,150210
6Nurse Practitioners$118,470
Master's degree
$97,010 – $150,700920
7Physician Assistants$115,840
Master's degree
$91,980 – $155,600400
8Occupational Therapists$102,650
Master's degree
$77,060 – $112,260280
9Physical Therapists$99,840
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,880 – $118,260670
10Speech-Language Pathologists$87,820
Master's degree
$60,890 – $115,210390
11Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$85,560
Associate's degree
$68,290 – $95,300130
12Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$84,440
Associate's degree
$69,530 – $97,220320
13Dental Hygienists$82,370
Associate's degree
$63,030 – $91,250620
14Registered Nurses$81,920
Bachelor's degree
$68,460 – $108,2109,400
15Respiratory Therapists$79,780
Associate's degree
$61,050 – $84,690330
16Chiropractors$74,090
Doctoral or professional degree
$41,150 – $118,410150
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$74,080
Associate's degree
$55,970 – $96,020700
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$68,080
Bachelor's degree
$36,170 – $95,020170
19Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$65,590
Associate's degree
$36,340 – $92,880140
20Medical Records Specialists$62,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,090 – $71,570640
21Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$62,110
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,050 – $76,2801,600
22Surgical Technologists$61,230
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,030 – $74,290440
23Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$55,280
Bachelor's degree
$38,460 – $80,670810
24Paramedics$53,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,350 – $64,190490
25Opticians, Dispensing$46,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,700 – $68,440130
26Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$44,090
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,790 – $65,350450
27Emergency Medical Technicians$42,290
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,640 – $49,210770
28Psychiatric Technicians$39,980
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,390 – $67,840210
29Pharmacy Technicians$39,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,870 – $52,7801,470
30Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$38,570
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,970 – $48,260300
31Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$38,390
Associate's degree
$30,150 – $52,050430
32Dietetic Technicians$37,500
Associate's degree
$32,710 – $39,080200

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianColumbia, SC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$374,300	$99,230 – $501,690	1,050
2	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$271,350	$214,000 – $333,030	210
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$228,820	$104,860 – $310,840	480
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$133,850	$81,390 – $169,540	1,050
5	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$129,960	$77,510 – $220,150	210
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$118,470	$97,010 – $150,700	920
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$115,840	$91,980 – $155,600	400
8	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$102,650	$77,060 – $112,260	280
9	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,840	$64,880 – $118,260	670
10	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$87,820	$60,890 – $115,210	390
11	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$85,560	$68,290 – $95,300	130
12	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$84,440	$69,530 – $97,220	320
13	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$82,370	$63,030 – $91,250	620
14	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$81,920	$68,460 – $108,210	9,400
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$79,780	$61,050 – $84,690	330
16	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$74,090	$41,150 – $118,410	150
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$74,080	$55,970 – $96,020	700
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$68,080	$36,170 – $95,020	170
19	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$65,590	$36,340 – $92,880	140
20	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,650	$38,090 – $71,570	640
21	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,110	$51,050 – $76,280	1,600
22	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,230	$50,030 – $74,290	440
23	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$55,280	$38,460 – $80,670	810
24	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,160	$41,350 – $64,190	490
25	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,150	$36,700 – $68,440	130
26	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,090	$37,790 – $65,350	450
27	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,290	$33,640 – $49,210	770
28	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$39,980	$35,390 – $67,840	210
29	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,170	$35,870 – $52,780	1,470
30	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,570	$30,970 – $48,260	300
31	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$38,390	$30,150 – $52,050	430
32	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$37,500	$32,710 – $39,080	200

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Columbia, SC. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Columbia, SC to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Columbia, SC

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