City Administrator Salary in Columbia, South Carolina

How much does a City Administrator make in Columbia, SC?

As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a City Administrator in Columbia, SC is $50,968. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $45,820 to $57,118, with most professionals earning between $41,133 and $62,718.

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Salary range for an City Administrator

$45,820 to $57,118

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City Administrator

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Job Openings for City Administrator in Columbia, SC

What does a City Administrator do?

Common responsibilities of a City Administrator

Participate in organization planning and work with site lead team to plan for long term patient needs and resources.

December 04, 2022

Prepares, critiques, and delivers presentations to the City Council and City Administrator, on behalf of staff and other agencies and firms.

February 01, 2023

Creates training resources and conducts training to reinforce continuity and standardization of office procedures.

February 08, 2023

Participates as a member of the City's executive management team and engages in decision-making involving policy options, programs, and use of City resources.

February 14, 2023

Communicates with employees and assists with employee plan deferrals, loans and retirement distributions.

April 03, 2023

Review staff reports for completeness and accuracy, and coordinate with department heads relative to report content and presentations.

April 17, 2023

Develops and presents recommendations for the City Administrator's Office on a wide variety of subjects.

April 25, 2023

Provides strategies in collaboration with the City Manager, department heads, and other City management staff in accomplishing the City's goals, and in addressing a wide variety of complex daily operational challenges.

April 28, 2023

Assists the City Administrator and the City Council in establishing the City's short and long-range goals, and anticipates and resolves organizational issues, concerns, and opportunities.

May 01, 2023

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City Administrator Salary By Experience Levels in Columbia, SC

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

City Administrator Salary By Level of Education in Columbia, SC

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Depending on the job, educational levels may have a significant impact on pay levels. Be informed and understand how things like education and certifications can help to increase potential earnings for the career you are interested in. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Average Salary Range for City Administrator in Columbia, SC

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

45820

57118

50968

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

46468

58462

51881

What is the average salary for City Administrator in 2025?

These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of City Administrator in Columbia, SC. The base salary for City Administrator ranges from $45,820 to $57,118 with the average base salary of $50,968. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $46,468 to $58,462 with the average total cash compensation of $51,881.

View Average Salary for City Administrator as table

	Average Salary	Average Salary Range
Base Salary	$50,968	$45,820 - $57,118
Bonus	$913	$648 - $1,344
Total Pay	$51,881	$46,468 - $58,462

* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.

* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.

City Administrator Salary Near Columbia, SC

CITY, STATE	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Sumter, SC	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $44,199 - $55,097	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Aiken, SC	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $46,116 - $57,488	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Rock Hill, SC	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $48,652 - $60,649	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Florence, SC	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $44,555 - $55,541	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Augusta, GA	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $46,255 - $57,660	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC
CITY, STATE Summerville, SC	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $46,731 - $58,254	COMPARE TO Columbia, SC

See salaries for City Administrator in locations close to Columbia, SC. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.

About Columbia, South Carolina

One of Columbia's more prominent geographical features is its fall line, the boundary between the upland Piedmont region and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, across which rivers drop as falls or rapids. Columbia grew up at the fall line of the Congaree River, which is formed by the convergence of the Broad River and the Saluda River. The Congaree was the farthest inland point of river navigation. The energy of falling water also powered Columbia's early mills. The city has capitalized on this location which includes three rivers by christening itself "The Columbia Riverbanks Region". Columbia is lo...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/11/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

View Salary for Similar Jobs to City Administrator in Columbia, SC

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JOB TITLE	LOCATION	MINIMUM SALARY	MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Assistant City Administrator	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $48,930	MAXIMUM SALARY $61,031
JOB TITLE City Clerk	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $39,129	MAXIMUM SALARY $48,812
JOB TITLE City Assessor	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $53,810	MAXIMUM SALARY $71,599
JOB TITLE City Engineer	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $94,068	MAXIMUM SALARY $111,915
JOB TITLE City Attorney	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $84,540	MAXIMUM SALARY $113,728
JOB TITLE City Commissioner	LOCATION Columbia, SC	MINIMUM SALARY $42,768	MAXIMUM SALARY $70,112

The City Administrator job could be listed using titles that are not exactly the same, but actually are for the same or very similar job. Here are some job titles in Columbia, SC that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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