The annual salary statistics of mental health counselors in Columbia, South Carolina is shown in Table 1. The wage data of mental health counselors in Columbia is based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $20,880 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $22,800 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $26,650 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $35,300 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $63,790 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for mental health counselors in Columbia, South Carolina in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $63,790. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $26,650. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent earners is $20,880.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of mental health counselors from 2012 to 2016.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 4-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $26,650 | -8.22% | -31.29% |
| 2015 | $28,840 | -61.86% | - |
| 2014 | $46,680 | 22.60% | - |
| 2013 | $36,130 | 3.16% | - |
| 2012 | $34,990 | - | - |
From Table 3 we note that with a median annual salary of $26,650, Columbia is the lowest paying city for mental health counselors in state of South Carolina, following city of Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area (median annual salary of $50,150). Compared with the highest paying city Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area, the median annual salary of mental health counselors in Columbia is 46.9 percent (46.9%) lower.