Physical Therapists salary in Columbia, SC
Median pay for physical therapists in Columbia, SC: $96,120/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,270 – $106,190 · about 610 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($98,205) by −$2,085 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Columbia
With Columbia's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $96,120 has the buying power of about $103,108 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $63,471 · median home $256,154 · median rent $1,537/mo.
How Columbia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Columbia, SC is 128th of the 186 metros we hold physical therapists wages for. Once Columbia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 86th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Columbia is one of the places where physical therapists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Columbia
A median home in Columbia, SC costs $256,154 — about 2.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,537/mo works out at 19% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physical therapists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Columbia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Columbia | Rent vs Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | $132,870 | +38% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $131,930 | +37% | 2.4× |
| Sacramento, CA | $131,760 | +37% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $131,050 | +36% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Columbia | Rent vs Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | $103,850 | +8% | 1× |
| Charleston, SC | $99,050 | +3% | 1.3× |
| Greenville, SC | $97,680 | +2% | 1× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $92,690 | −4% | 1.1× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physical therapists around Columbia
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Prisma Health Midlands · Healthcare
- University of South Carolina · Education
- Lexington Medical Center · Healthcare
Other jobs in Columbia
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.