Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Columbia
Whether you picture hard-working teachers buying school supplies for their students or genius professors shaping future leaders, it's fair to say education encompasses a wide variety of jobs. So much so that there's room to specialize and pursue your passion.
Historically, teachers' pay is a rather contentious topic. The average teacher salary is about $2,000 less than a decade ago after adjusting for inflation. Despite this, many of these jobs are rewarding in more ways than one. In other words, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying education jobs in Columbia, SC using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Keep reading to discover the highest and lowest paying education jobs in your city.
#31. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $26,040
- #354 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,480
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,760
- Employment: 1,187,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($46,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($42,820)
#30. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $29,020
- #430 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,460
- Employment: 391,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)
#29. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Annual mean salary: $30,260
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,560
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,410
- Employment: 374,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Prescott, AZ ($64,310)
--- Appleton, WI ($63,310)
--- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL ($58,770)
#28. Tutors
- Annual mean salary: $32,610
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,780
- Employment: 147,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Pittsfield, MA ($82,910)
--- Santa Fe, NM ($68,440)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($60,110)
#27. Library technicians
- Annual mean salary: $36,320
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,070
- Employment: 73,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($61,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,950)
--- Napa, CA ($57,890)
#26. Museum technicians and conservators
- Annual mean salary: $36,980
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,030
- Employment: 10,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,670)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($73,740)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($68,180)
#25. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $44,860
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,170
- Employment: 121,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Arecibo, PR ($62,080)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,560)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($59,380)
#24. Archivists
- Annual mean salary: $46,390
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,880
- Employment: 6,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($84,080)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($79,270)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,800)
#23. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $46,830
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
#22. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $50,430
- #280 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,130
- Employment: 105,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($116,850)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($97,110)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($95,200)
#21. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $51,770
- #280 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,490
- Employment: 120,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($95,420)
--- Kingston, NY ($92,160)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,490)
#20. Curators
- Annual mean salary: $51,950
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,880
- Employment: 11,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($96,990)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($94,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,680)
#19. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,960
- Employment: 84,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($122,160)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($121,490)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($115,060)
#18. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $58,630
- #283 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,540
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,530
- Employment: 1,020,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,010)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($101,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($97,490)
#17. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Annual mean salary: $58,800
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 187,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($102,210)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,730)
--- Chico, CA ($88,430)
#16. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Annual mean salary: $59,260
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,650
- Employment: 38,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($96,640)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,290)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,740)
#15. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,350
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,080
- Employment: 1,329,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,860)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($91,430)
--- Salinas, CA ($91,280)
#14. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Annual mean salary: $59,700
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,100
- Employment: 145,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($110,320)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($106,590)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($103,540)
#13. Special education teachers, middle school
- Annual mean salary: $60,100
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,860
- Employment: 79,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($117,940)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($94,630)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,140)
#12. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $60,200
- #204 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,930
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,880
- Employment: 592,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bakersfield, CA ($109,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,280)
--- Yuba City, CA ($94,480)
#11. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Annual mean salary: $61,350
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,180
- Employment: 127,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,990)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($89,220)
#10. Instructional coordinators
- Annual mean salary: $64,100
- #266 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,560
- Employment: 184,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($93,890)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($93,760)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,430)
#9. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $75,020
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,260
- Employment: 20,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($147,650)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($129,190)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($127,730)
#8. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $78,790
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,990
- Employment: 58,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($119,140)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($112,130)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($110,160)
#7. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $85,120
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,990
- Employment: 19,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($149,170)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($130,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($129,250)
#6. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $87,040
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,680
- Employment: 58,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($162,660)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,980)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($132,320)
#5. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $87,770
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,240
- Employment: 94,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($180,910)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($160,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($151,060)
#4. Communications teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $91,130
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $84,580
- Employment: 27,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($149,400)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($127,260)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($124,320)
#3. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $107,010
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,390
- Employment: 36,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($141,130)
--- Iowa City, IA ($131,770)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($117,020)
#2. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $116,870
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,590
- Employment: 35,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($157,030)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($154,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($153,050)
#1. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $138,100
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,720
- Employment: 79,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Auburn-Opelika, AL ($175,640)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($175,080)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($154,600)