Highest-paying management jobs in Columbia

Not everyone has what it takes to be a manager in today's workplace, and those who do tend to be well compensated.

Workers today are split on how they want to interact with their jobs. Half of workers want to blend their work and their personal lives, while the other roughly 50% prefer to keep them separate, according to Gallup polling. The lion's share want more flexibility in where they perform their work—at a time when businesses may have to buckle in for tougher economic conditions in the year ahead.

Whether overseeing a sales team or leading a commercial building project, these are the challenges that get management professionals out of bed in the morning.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying management jobs in Columbia, SC metro area using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Jobs the BLS lists as "management occupations" were included.

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#28. Legislators

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $19,520
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,110
- Employment: 44,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Yakima, WA ($139,690)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($136,400)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($132,460)

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#27. Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $49,570
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,800
- Employment: 56,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($74,390)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($73,080)
--- Napa, CA ($70,330)

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#26. Food service managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $56,320
- #326 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

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#25. Lodging managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $61,140
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)

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#24. Emergency management directors

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $63,640
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,800
- Employment: 10,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($142,000)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($124,780)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($123,170)

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#23. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $67,500
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360

National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)

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#22. Compensation and benefits managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $70,240
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $139,470
- Employment: 15,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($190,560)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($187,770)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($177,130)

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#21. Social and community service managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $80,330
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,790
- Employment: 156,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($100,530)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($98,240)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($98,200)

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#20. Public relations managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $80,390
- #172 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $138,000
- Employment: 59,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($183,410)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($182,890)
--- Boulder, CO ($174,250)

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#19. Human resources managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $86,170
- #446 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520

National
- Annual mean salary: $136,590
- Employment: 166,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($190,020)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($186,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($175,410)

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#18. Natural sciences managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $88,770
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $156,110
- Employment: 74,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($222,360)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($219,240)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($216,750)

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#17. General and operations managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $92,820
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,110

National
- Annual mean salary: $115,250
- Employment: 2,984,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($165,340)
--- Trenton, NJ ($165,030)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($159,210)

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#16. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $97,740
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 760

National
- Annual mean salary: $102,650
- Employment: 274,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($144,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($143,450)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($142,330)

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#15. Construction managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $98,460
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520

National
- Annual mean salary: $108,210
- Employment: 284,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($160,710)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($149,050)
--- Napa, CA ($145,430)

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#14. Training and development managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $100,960
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $128,800
- Employment: 35,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($180,360)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($176,270)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($166,410)

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#13. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $103,580
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310

National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

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#12. Facilities managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $103,770
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $101,970
- Employment: 101,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($146,040)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($136,440)
--- Ithaca, NY ($136,210)

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#11. Medical and health services managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $110,650
- #212 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,380

National
- Annual mean salary: $119,840
- Employment: 436,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($162,110)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($157,340)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($156,370)

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#10. Administrative services managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $110,980
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,130

National
- Annual mean salary: $113,030
- Employment: 224,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($149,360)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($142,650)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($141,950)

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#9. Education administrators, postsecondary

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $111,130
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

National
- Annual mean salary: $111,260
- Employment: 155,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Corvallis, OR ($178,570)
--- Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC ($165,940)
--- Syracuse, NY ($164,660)

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#8. Purchasing managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $113,110
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $134,590
- Employment: 69,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($181,030)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($177,010)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($174,760)

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#7. Industrial production managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $117,670
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

National
- Annual mean salary: $117,780
- Employment: 192,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($155,640)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($153,860)
--- Fort Collins, CO ($153,470)

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#6. Financial managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $123,030
- #277 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,230

National
- Annual mean salary: $153,460
- Employment: 681,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($209,100)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($201,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($188,900)

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#5. Sales managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $124,950
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 830

National
- Annual mean salary: $142,390
- Employment: 453,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($198,960)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($196,910)
--- Boulder, CO ($182,820)

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#4. Computer and information systems managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $125,510
- #275 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980

National
- Annual mean salary: $162,930
- Employment: 485,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($228,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($211,470)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($202,800)

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#3. Architectural and engineering managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $127,300
- #323 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

National
- Annual mean salary: $158,970
- Employment: 187,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($228,000)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($206,050)
--- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL ($198,430)

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#2. Marketing managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $133,060
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

National
- Annual mean salary: $153,440
- Employment: 278,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($210,280)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($198,870)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($191,310)

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#1. Chief executives

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $210,250
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470

National
- Annual mean salary: $213,020
- Employment: 200,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($313,440)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($298,960)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($296,480)