Talent Maps / Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC Engineering Talent Maps (2026)
Pay, employers, submarkets and hiring advice for engineers in metro Columbia and the Midlands, one discipline at a time.
Metro Columbia engineers work for Scout Motors in Blythewood, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Westinghouse’s nuclear fuel plant, Michelin in Lexington, Trane, SCDOT’s headquarters and the University of South Carolina. Big projects include the $2 billion Scout Motors plant, the $2.69 billion Carolina Crossroads rebuild of I-20, I-26 and I-126, Dominion’s 2,200 MW Canadys Station and USC’s new School of Medicine building. Each map below covers what engineers in one discipline earn, who employs them, where in the Midlands they work and what is competing for them. See our Columbia engineering recruiters.
Columbia, SC talent maps by discipline
Data center engineers
$101,320median electrical engineer pay, the main code for data center engineers in metro ColumbiaDartPoints colocation, co-op large-load rate and county moratoriums.
View map →Electrical engineers
$101,320median pay in metro ColumbiaDominion Energy, Central Electric, Prysmian and new generation.
View map →Mechanical engineers
$102,280median pay in metro ColumbiaScout Motors, Westinghouse fuel plant and VC Summer nuclear plans.
View map →Civil engineers
$94,520median pay in metro ColumbiaCarolina Crossroads, Columbia Canal, sewer upgrades and Scout Motors.
View map →Structural engineers
$94,520median civil engineer pay, the BLS group for structural engineers in metro ColumbiaōLiv tower, USC medical school and Carolina Crossroads bridges.
View map →Controls engineers
$101,320median electrical engineer pay, the main code for controls engineers in metro ColumbiaScout Motors, Michelin, Schneider Electric and water plant upgrades.
View map →Aerospace engineers
$137,030median pay in South Carolina; BLS has no Columbia estimateUSC McNAIR research, Integer Technologies and F-16 bases nearby.
View map →Industrial and manufacturing engineers
$98,780median pay in metro ColumbiaScout Motors launch, Michelin, Trane, Westinghouse and Prysmian.
View map →Architects
$100,200median pay in metro ColumbiaUSC School of Medicine, Fort Jackson and Columbia firms.
View map →CAD designers and drafters
$64,110median architectural and civil drafter pay in metro ColumbiaCarolina Crossroads, USC medical school and engineer-to-order plants.
View map →More Columbia, SC research
- Greenville-Spartanburg Engineering Talent Maps
- Charlotte Engineering Talent Maps
- US Data Center Map: 2026 Project Tracker
- Top US Data Center Markets by City
Hiring engineers in Columbia?
Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place engineering, IT and supply chain talent across metro Columbia and the Midlands on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.
Call 803.832.4646 or see our Columbia engineering recruiters page.
Ready to hire?