High paying teaching and library jobs in Columbia, SC

Every teaching and library 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 teaching and library 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 teaching jobs in Columbia, SC

OccupationMedian, Columbia, SC · Employed

1Business Teachers, Postsecondary$129,380
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,180 – $211,950230
2Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$102,890
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,150 – $163,030370
3Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$101,340
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,960 – $206,230260
4Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$97,550
Doctoral or professional degree
$58,930 – $158,660150
5Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$80,010
Doctoral or professional degree
$18,970 – $158,740430
6Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$79,860
Bachelor's degree
$37,430 – $97,010380
7Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,880
Master's degree
$47,750 – $125,680220
8Education Teachers, Postsecondary$78,880
Doctoral or professional degree
$34,020 – $169,540200
9English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,360
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,380 – $214,730150
10Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$71,280
Bachelor's degree
$38,050 – $83,410360
11Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$65,010
Bachelor's degree
$49,760 – $97,390190
12Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$63,270
Bachelor's degree
$49,480 – $75,000300
13Teachers and Instructors, All Other$62,330
Bachelor's degree
$39,120 – $91,710340
14Instructional Coordinators$61,640
Master's degree
$40,540 – $95,330840
15Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$61,290
Master's degree
$43,800 – $81,100440
16Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$60,880
Bachelor's degree
$46,910 – $73,160260
17Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$60,280
Bachelor's degree
$48,740 – $78,0103,310
18Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$60,050
Bachelor's degree
$48,170 – $76,0104,360
19Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$59,400
Bachelor's degree
$48,760 – $77,3602,450
20Special Education Teachers, Middle School$58,900
Bachelor's degree
$46,890 – $76,900150
21Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$58,860
Bachelor's degree
$49,680 – $77,660230
22Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$39,250
Bachelor's degree
$23,220 – $107,580770
23Self-Enrichment Teachers$36,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$22,130 – $58,260770
24Tutors$33,780
Some college, no degree
$18,620 – $62,130230
25Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$31,510
Associate's degree
$26,800 – $45,920560
26Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$27,860
Some college, no degree
$22,430 – $45,5102,680

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	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$129,380	$37,180 – $211,950	230
2	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$102,890	$62,150 – $163,030	370
3	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$101,340	$64,960 – $206,230	260
4	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$97,550	$58,930 – $158,660	150
5	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$80,010	$18,970 – $158,740	430
6	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$79,860	$37,430 – $97,010	380
7	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$78,880	$47,750 – $125,680	220
8	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$78,880	$34,020 – $169,540	200
9	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$78,360	$49,380 – $214,730	150
10	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$71,280	$38,050 – $83,410	360
11	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$65,010	$49,760 – $97,390	190
12	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$63,270	$49,480 – $75,000	300
13	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$62,330	$39,120 – $91,710	340
14	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$61,640	$40,540 – $95,330	840
15	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$61,290	$43,800 – $81,100	440
16	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$60,880	$46,910 – $73,160	260
17	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$60,280	$48,740 – $78,010	3,310
18	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$60,050	$48,170 – $76,010	4,360
19	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$59,400	$48,760 – $77,360	2,450
20	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$58,900	$46,890 – $76,900	150
21	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$58,860	$49,680 – $77,660	230
22	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$39,250	$23,220 – $107,580	770
23	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,550	$22,130 – $58,260	770
24	TutorsSome college, no degree	$33,780	$18,620 – $62,130	230
25	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$31,510	$26,800 – $45,920	560
26	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$27,860	$22,430 – $45,510	2,680

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 teaching and library jobs in Columbia, SC

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