Mechanical Engineer salary in Columbia, SC

Based on 30 certified H-1B filings in the Columbia, SC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes West Columbia, Hopkins, Ridgeway, Batesburg-Leesville, Irmo.

Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer

Median salary$101,655
Middle 50%$92.1k–$114.5k
vs. national median−6%comparison median $108,000
Filings30FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $63,367 and $154,471.
PercentileSalary
10th$75,005
25th$92,075
50th (median)$101,655
75th$114,548
90th$120,561

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $90k $120k FY2020: median $76,500 (12 filings) FY2021: median $72,500 (18 filings) FY2023: median $91,000 (14 filings) FY2024: median $98,171 (16 filings) FY2025: median $98,000 (16 filings) FY2026: median $109,922 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 12 filings FY20 FY2021: 18 filings FY21 FY2022: 9 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 16 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 18
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$76,500$61,074$85,29512
FY2021$72,500$62,704$87,52618
FY2022–––9
FY2023$91,000$80,000$99,54414
FY2024$98,171$85,689$117,77716
FY2025$98,000$76,689$103,05516
FY2026$109,922$100,328$120,00014

Cost of living

Columbia's median Mechanical Engineer salary of $101,655 is worth about $108,500 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Columbia = 93.7).

Compared with all workers here

All Mechanical Engineers in the Columbia, SC area earned a median of $102,280 in May 2025 (450 employed). The H-1B median here is $101,655, 1% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Scout Motorstoo few5
Enviri Corporation (formerly Harsco Corporation)too few3
China Jushitoo few2
Correlated Solutionstoo few2
Hitachi Rail STStoo few2
MEKRA Lang North Americatoo few2
Schneider Electrictoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II $91,100 13
Senior · Level III $103,909 10
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$75,005$91,10013
Senior · Level III$91,416$103,90910

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.