Highest paying jobs in Columbia that require a bachelor's degree

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February 10, 2021
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Highest paying jobs in Columbia that require a bachelor's degree

While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, many still believe a bachelor’s degree is essential to landing a high-paying job in the United States. Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs that typically require a bachelors in Columbia using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage.

Whether highly technical, scientific, or based in finance or the arts, all the jobs require keeping up to date with the latest developments in culture, commerce, or tech.

Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor degree in Columbia.

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GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#50. Technical writers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $65,230
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,860
- Employment: 50,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,550)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($102,500)
--- Boulder, CO ($100,500)

2 / 50
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

#49. Credit analysts

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $65,650
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,930
- Employment: 73,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($120,850)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($116,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,330)

3 / 50
aslysun // Shutterstock

#48. Chemists

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $66,840
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,150
- Employment: 83,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Peoria, IL ($127,750)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($124,540)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($116,030)

4 / 50
guruXOX // Shutterstock

#47. Producers and directors

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $66,890
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

National
- Annual mean salary: $93,940
- Employment: 129,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($129,980)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($119,460)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($105,950)

5 / 50
Canva

#46. Environmental engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $67,230
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,220
- Employment: 53,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($123,340)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($120,600)
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($117,170)

6 / 50
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock

#45. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $69,480
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $108,350
- Employment: 29,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tulsa, OK ($207,900)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($170,220)
--- Midland, TX ($165,590)

7 / 50
Ivan Chudakov

#44. Conservation scientists

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $69,650
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,040
- Employment: 22,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($99,620)
--- Trenton, NJ ($99,110)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,190)

8 / 50
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock

#43. Logisticians

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $72,090
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,680
- Employment: 182,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lake Charles, LA ($124,160)
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($106,490)
--- Anchorage, AK ($100,690)

9 / 50
comzeal images // Shutterstock

#42. Loan officers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $72,120
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,200
- Employment: 308,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Stockton-Lodi, CA ($117,330)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($113,480)
--- Yuba City, CA ($113,340)

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sabthai // Shutterstock

#41. Budget analysts

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $72,720
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $80,300
- Employment: 51,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,920)
--- Boulder, CO ($103,670)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($100,770)

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Canva

#40. Mechanical engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $74,110
- #290 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480

National
- Annual mean salary: $93,540
- Employment: 306,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($125,640)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($123,270)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($120,950)

12 / 50
Canva

#39. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $74,600
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,810
- Employment: 25,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($124,110)
--- Albuquerque, NM ($122,020)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($121,620)

13 / 50
fizkes // Shutterstock

#38. Management analysts

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $75,550
- #273 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,470

National
- Annual mean salary: $95,560
- Employment: 709,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dothan, AL ($132,090)
--- Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL ($127,750)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($127,570)

14 / 50
Bradley Evans // U.S. Navy

#37. Chemical engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $75,560
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $117,090
- Employment: 30,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($162,330)
--- Midland, TX ($152,170)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($150,680)

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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#36. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $77,060
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 590

National
- Annual mean salary: $93,090
- Employment: 437,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($149,880)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($148,960)
--- Owensboro, KY ($133,600)

16 / 50
Canva

#35. Materials engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $97,890
- Employment: 26,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($127,690)
--- Boulder, CO ($127,260)
--- Albuquerque, NM ($126,970)

17 / 50
Geraldshields11 // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Labor relations specialists

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $78,110
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,870
- Employment: 75,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spartanburg, SC ($111,160)
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($106,620)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($106,380)

18 / 50
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

#33. Network and computer systems administrators

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $78,640
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,680

National
- Annual mean salary: $88,410
- Employment: 354,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($121,440)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($112,910)
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($109,790)

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Canva

#32. Computer systems analysts

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $78,880
- #211 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,540

National
- Annual mean salary: $96,160
- Employment: 589,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($122,990)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($121,300)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($119,540)

20 / 50
EU2017EE // Flickr

#31. Information security analysts

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $78,970
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,210
- Employment: 125,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($133,040)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($127,850)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($122,570)

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Canva

#30. Civil engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $80,400
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,360
- Employment: 310,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($120,110)
--- Midland, TX ($117,900)
--- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL ($117,200)

22 / 50
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#29. Social and community service managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $81,860
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $72,900
- Employment: 156,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($93,060)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($92,720)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($92,200)

23 / 50
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock

#28. Software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $82,100
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,660

National
- Annual mean salary: $111,620
- Employment: 1,406,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($145,730)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($145,250)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($134,090)

24 / 50
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock

#27. Computer programmers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $83,040
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,150

National
- Annual mean salary: $92,610
- Employment: 199,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($116,400)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($113,990)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($113,760)

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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $84,240
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560

National
- Annual mean salary: $92,980
- Employment: 306,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($136,780)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($128,380)
--- Casper, WY ($125,850)

26 / 50
dokurose // Shutterstock

#25. Actuaries

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $85,360
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $120,970
- Employment: 22,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($167,850)
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($150,630)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($147,760)

27 / 50
BDUK fibre // flickr

#24. Electronics engineers, except computer

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $85,650
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $110,210
- Employment: 128,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($141,660)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($132,600)
--- Austin-Round Rock, TX ($130,890)

28 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#23. Database administrators and architects

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $87,440
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $96,110
- Employment: 125,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($140,580)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($116,780)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($114,960)

29 / 50
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock

#22. Sales engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $88,100
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $112,780
- Employment: 63,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($158,150)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($156,600)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($153,860)

30 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#21. Industrial engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $89,080
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 780

National
- Annual mean salary: $92,660
- Employment: 291,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($131,850)
--- Billings, MT ($124,350)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($121,940)

31 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#20. Architects, except landscape and naval

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $89,850
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $89,560
- Employment: 105,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($123,770)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($121,550)
--- Lubbock, TX ($116,720)

32 / 50
IBM Research // Flickr

#19. Computer network architects

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $91,890
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

National
- Annual mean salary: $115,110
- Employment: 152,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($152,400)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($151,650)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($142,100)

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Canva

#18. Electrical engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $93,310
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

National
- Annual mean salary: $103,480
- Employment: 185,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($138,450)
--- Salinas, CA ($129,850)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($128,080)

34 / 50
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#17. Purchasing managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $94,050
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $128,400
- Employment: 72,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($171,560)
--- Morgantown, WV ($163,830)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($160,620)

35 / 50
Financial Times // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Personal financial advisors

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $95,360
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

National
- Annual mean salary: $119,290
- Employment: 210,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Montgomery, AL ($178,100)
--- Santa Fe, NM ($173,970)
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($171,370)

36 / 50
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#15. Training and development managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $97,400
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $123,470
- Employment: 38,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($168,900)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($167,850)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($152,380)

37 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#14. Medical and health services managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $101,400
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080

National
- Annual mean salary: $115,160
- Employment: 394,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($163,280)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($159,190)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,570)

38 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#13. Human resources managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $101,810
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $129,570
- Employment: 154,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($196,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($174,390)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($170,070)

39 / 50
NTNU // Flickr

#12. Natural sciences managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $103,660
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $145,450
- Employment: 67,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($222,530)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($208,910)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($206,710)

40 / 50
IAEA Imagebank // Flickr

#11. Nuclear engineers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $105,100
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $120,700
- Employment: 15,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($146,420)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($145,330)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($141,270)

41 / 50
Pixabay

#10. General and operations managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $108,630
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,650

National
- Annual mean salary: $123,030
- Employment: 2,400,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($189,060)
--- Trenton, NJ ($173,050)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($167,160)

42 / 50
TopRank Online Marketing // Flickr

#9. Marketing managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $111,750
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

National
- Annual mean salary: $149,200
- Employment: 263,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($199,710)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($188,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($183,460)

43 / 50
Pixabay

#8. Compensation and benefits managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $113,530
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $134,210
- Employment: 16,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($181,770)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($179,430)
--- New Haven, CT ($179,310)

44 / 50
Pixabay

#7. Architectural and engineering managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $119,050
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

National
- Annual mean salary: $152,930
- Employment: 194,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($203,310)
--- Amarillo, TX ($198,010)
--- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL ($188,210)

45 / 50
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock

#6. Industrial production managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $120,040
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360

National
- Annual mean salary: $115,110
- Employment: 185,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Florence, SC ($158,000)
--- Boulder, CO ($149,990)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($149,500)

46 / 50
Canva

#5. Sales managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $123,280
- #188 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660

National
- Annual mean salary: $141,690
- Employment: 402,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($195,220)
--- Trenton, NJ ($178,020)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($175,500)

47 / 50
Canva

#4. Financial managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $123,720
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,230

National
- Annual mean salary: $147,530
- Employment: 654,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($208,770)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($203,430)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($182,190)

48 / 50
Almonroth // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Computer and information systems managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $125,140
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080

National
- Annual mean salary: $156,390
- Employment: 433,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($215,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($201,960)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($196,290)

49 / 50
USACE NY // Flickr

#2. Construction managers

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $128,310
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

National
- Annual mean salary: $105,000
- Employment: 293,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($160,500)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($148,140)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($146,820)

50 / 50
Maurizio Pesce // flickr

#1. Chief executives

Columbia, SC
- Annual mean salary: $200,110
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540

National
- Annual mean salary: $193,850
- Employment: 205,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($270,040)
--- Sioux Falls, SD ($264,330)
--- Midland, TX ($258,760)

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