Police officer · Columbia, SC
Police officer in Columbia: $869/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median police officer wage in Columbia at $59,260 a year. About 2,840 police officer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.67). The 10th percentile is $46,650 and the 90th is $98,840. Pay ranks 294th-highest of 380 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,157/mo). South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $869 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Rocky Mount, about 224 miles away, at $1,501 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$869
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$59,260
$46,650 to $98,840
Rent (1 bd)
$1,157
$1,377 (2 bd)
Employment
2,840
Location quotient 1.67
Pay rank
294th of 380
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.3×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, police officer pay of $59,260.
- Taxes$975
- Rent$1,157
- Other living costs$1,938
- Left over$869
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $59,260
- Federal income tax
- −$5,073
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$4,533
- State income tax (SC)
- −$2,092
- Take-home pay
- $47,562
- Effective tax rate
- 19.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,157
- Groceries
- $384
- Getting around
- $546
- Healthcare
- $432
- Utilities and internet
- $240
- Everything else
- $336
- Total spending
- $3,095
Left over each month
$4,938 gross, minus $975 in tax and $3,095 in living costs.
$869
Rank every metro for a police officer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Rocky Mount, $1,501/mo.
Police officer leftover by city →Best cities for police officers to move to →Police officer nearby
Other jobs in Columbia
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a police officer make in Columbia?
$59,260 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 2,840 police officer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a police officer in Columbia?
$869 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,157, and pay covers 4.3× a year of it.
Where nearby would a police officer keep more?
Rocky Mount, about 224 miles away, leaves $1,501 a month, more than Columbia.