Talent Maps / Columbia, SC / Mechanical Engineers

Columbia, SC Mechanical Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What mechanical engineers earn in metro Columbia, which manufacturers, nuclear firms and utilities employ them, where in the metro they work, and the automotive, nuclear and building projects competing for them.

Hiring mechanical engineers in Columbia?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers mechanical engineers in the Columbia, SC metro area, which spans Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Fairfield, Saluda and Calhoun counties. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and company data published from 2024 to 2026. Our mechanical engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Columbia electrical, data center and controls engineer talent maps.

$102,280Median mechanical engineer pay in metro ColumbiaBLS, May 2025

$150,630+What the top 10% of Columbia mechanical engineers earnBLS, May 2025

$2BScout Motors Production Center in Blythewood, built for up to 200,000 vehicles a yearScout Motors, 2026

2,200+Westinghouse employees in South Carolina, including its Columbia Fuel Fabrication FacilityUniversity of South Carolina, 2026

$2.7BProposed Brookfield deal for a 75% stake in the unfinished VC Summer Units 2 and 3Post and Courier, 2026

753Mechanical engineering students at USC in fall 2025, up from 532 in 2023University of South Carolina

Mechanical engineer salaries in Columbia

The median mechanical engineer in metro Columbia earns $102,280 a year, $2,300 below the South Carolina median of $104,580 and $1,830 below the national median of $104,110. The hourly median is $49.18. Columbia’s 25th percentile of $80,550 trails both the state ($84,810) and the nation ($84,130). The top end is lower too: the 90th percentile of $150,630 is $13,710 below the national figure and $15,710 below the state’s $166,340.

Annual pay percentile	Columbia metro	South Carolina	United States
10th percentile	$72,120	$74,260	$73,990
25th percentile	$80,550	$84,810	$84,130
Median	$102,280	$104,580	$104,110
75th percentile	$127,220	$133,480	$132,590
90th percentile	$150,630	$166,340	$164,340

Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Mechanical engineering technicians, who build, test and support prototypes and production equipment, earn a median of $72,830 in Columbia. That is $3,250 above the South Carolina median of $69,580 and $1,680 below the national $74,510. Pay runs from $48,990 at the 10th percentile to $96,110 at the 90th, so technician roles cost close to the national rate.

Columbia pays slightly more than its neighbors at the median. Greenville’s median is $101,570, which is $710 below Columbia’s, and Charlotte’s is $101,950, which is $330 below. Greenville pays more at the top: its 90th percentile of $165,710 is $15,080 above Columbia’s. Senior engineers weighing the two South Carolina metros often find the Upstate pays more. See our Greenville-Spartanburg mechanical engineer talent map.

Where Columbia’s mechanical engineers work

Automotive and manufacturing

Scout Motors is building its Production Center in Blythewood. In September 2026, robotics were being tested in the body shop, conveyors were running between the body and paint shops, and assembly conveyors were going in.

The Central SC Alliance lists Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Michelin, Trane and Samsung among the region’s top manufacturers. ALLTAPE’s $70 million adhesives plant in Lexington County was due online in July 2026.

Nuclear fuel and fabrication

Westinghouse runs the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility, one of the largest nuclear fuel plants of its kind, and is preparing an LEU Plus expansion there.

AVANTech, an NQA-1 nuclear fabrication firm, is adding 45,000 square feet and 65 jobs at its Columbia plant. The Nuclear Company plans an engineering and construction office in Columbia with 100 jobs.

Utilities and power

Dominion Energy South Carolina has its operational headquarters in Cayce. Its VC Summer Unit 1 nuclear plant in Jenkinsville is licensed to operate until 2062.

Santee Cooper owns the unfinished VC Summer Units 2 and 3, where about 64% of the engineering, procurement and construction work was reportedly done before the project stopped in 2017.

Buildings and healthcare

USC’s 330,000 square foot School of Medicine is under construction in the BullStreet District. Its bulk sterilizer passed factory testing in Spain in September 2026.

ōLiv Columbia, a 26-story tower with a 1,600-stall garage, is due in summer 2028.

Where the talent sits: Columbia submarkets

Blythewood and northeast Richland

AutomotiveRobotics

Scout’s 1,100-acre site has body shop, paint shop and final assembly buildings, a training center and a supplier park.

Hopkins and lower Richland

Nuclear fuel

The Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility is here, licensed to operate until 2062. In 2026 Westinghouse told local officials it was clearing land and handling permits for the LEU Plus facility.

Fairfield County and Jenkinsville

Nuclear power

VC Summer Unit 1 operates on Lake Monticello. Brookfield and The Nuclear Company formed a project company to manage a possible completion of Units 2 and 3.

Lexington and West Columbia

ManufacturingProcess

Michelin, Prysmian and ALLTAPE have plants in Lexington County, and Michelin’s sits along I-20. Prysmian’s $80 million expansion is due online in May 2028.

Downtown and BullStreet

Building systemsHealthcare

The USC School of Medicine is due in August 2027, and ōLiv Columbia is rising on Main Street.

What’s driving demand for mechanical engineers in Columbia

Scout Motors ramp-up. Scout says initial production is targeted for 2027, with customer deliveries in 2028. An outside forecaster reported later dates in April 2026, which Scout did not confirm. The plant is built for up to 200,000 vehicles a year.
Nuclear completion. Santee Cooper is negotiating to sell a 75% stake in VC Summer Units 2 and 3 to Brookfield for $2.7 billion. A final investment decision could take about 18 months from May 2026.
Nuclear workforce. USC and Westinghouse signed an agreement on September 29, 2026 to build a nuclear workforce program at USC’s planned Nuclear Innovation Center, including a certificate for mechanical, electrical, industrial and civil engineering students.
Nuclear fabrication. AVANTech’s expansion was due online in February 2026, and Westinghouse is preparing its LEU Plus facility.
New power plants. The Public Service Commission approved Canadys Station, a 2,200 megawatt gas plant by Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper in Colleton County, on May 14, 2026. Santee Cooper expects demand on its system to reach 7,246 megawatts by 2040.
Campus and tower construction. The medical school runs to August 2027 and ōLiv Columbia to summer 2028, both needing HVAC and plumbing design.

Mechanical specialties tied to these projects

Manufacturing and automation engineers for Scout’s body, paint and assembly lines.
Nuclear mechanical and quality engineers for Westinghouse, AVANTech and VC Summer.
HVAC and MEP design for the medical school, downtown towers and Fort Jackson buildings.
Power generation engineers for nuclear and gas projects serving Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper.
Process and packaging engineers for tire, cable and adhesives plants in Lexington County.

The talent pipeline

University of South Carolina. USC’s ABET-accredited mechanical engineering program enrolled 753 students in fall 2025 and awarded 103 degrees in 2024.
Midlands Technical College. MTC offers mechanical, electrical and EV engineering technology specializations and teaches a 15-week program for Scout employees at Scout’s Blythewood training center. See our guide to hiring a mechanical engineer.
Licensing. Senior roles usually require a South Carolina PE license. The SC Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors requires an ABET degree, the FE exam, four years of supervised experience and the PE exam.

What this means if you’re hiring

Expect Greenville and Charlotte to compete. Their medians are within $710 of Columbia’s, so candidates can move without a pay cut.
Price senior roles at the 75th percentile and up. For licensed PEs, plan on $127,220 or more, and toward $150,630 for nuclear or automation skills.
Budget fully for technicians. Columbia’s technician median of $72,830 is above the state’s, so support roles are not cheap.
Plan around nuclear timelines. The VC Summer decision and the Westinghouse expansion will run for years, and they draw on the same mechanical talent as Scout.

Need mechanical engineers in Columbia?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place mechanical, manufacturing, nuclear and MEP engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 803.832.4646 or see our Columbia engineering recruiters page.

Hire mechanical engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do mechanical engineers make in Columbia, SC?

The median mechanical engineer salary in metro Columbia is $102,280 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $80,550 and $127,220, and the top 10% earn $150,630 or more.

Do mechanical engineers earn more in Columbia or Greenville?

About the same at the median. Columbia’s median is $102,280, $710 above Greenville’s $101,570, but Greenville’s 90th percentile is higher at $165,710 against $150,630. See our Greenville-Spartanburg mechanical engineer talent map.

Who hires mechanical engineers in Columbia?

Manufacturers such as Scout Motors, Michelin, Trane, Nephron and Prysmian, nuclear firms such as Westinghouse, AVANTech and The Nuclear Company, utilities such as Dominion Energy South Carolina and Santee Cooper, and building owners such as the University of South Carolina.

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