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  1. Home/
  2. Salaries/
  3. Director of Frontend Engineering/
  4. Columbia

Director of Frontend Engineering.

Columbia.

$189,000

median salary, 10% below the national average

$148,000 to $246,000. Last updated April 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

Here is what Director of Frontend Engineerings actually make in Columbia: $148,000 at the 25th percentile, $189,000 at the median, and $246,000 at the 75th. That is 10% below the national average. Columbia is South Carolina's capital and home to Fort Jackson, the University of South Carolina, and a growing insurance and financial services sector. The number on your offer letter will depend on what you bring and how you ask.

Salary range

25th Percentile

$148,000

per year

Median

$189,000

per year

75th Percentile

$246,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$148,000$246,000

Salary by experience

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $170,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$123,000

to $151,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$161,000

to $198,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$208,000

to $246,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$236,000

to $293,000

Salary trend

+3% YoY
$168,000
2022
$173,000
2023
$178,000
2024
$183,000
2025
$189,000
2026

Total compensation

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $117,000 to the total package.

Base

$189,000

Equity

$62,000

Bonus

$40,000

Signing

$15,000

Estimated total: $306,000

How Columbia compares

Columbia, SC

$189,000

Cost of living: 10% below average

National Average

$210,000

Columbia is $21,000 below

Director of Frontend Engineering salary by city

Director of Frontend Engineering salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$298,000$233,000 – $388,0001.38x$216,000
San Francisco, CA$295,000$230,000 – $383,0001.35x$219,000
New York, NY$280,000$218,000 – $363,0001.28x$219,000
Honolulu, HI$270,000$211,000 – $351,0001.30x$208,000
Jersey City, NJ$260,000$203,000 – $337,0001.20x$217,000
Arlington, VA$259,000$202,000 – $336,0001.22x$212,000
Seattle, WA$258,000$201,000 – $335,0001.24x$208,000
Washington DC, DC$255,000$199,000 – $331,0001.25x$204,000
San Diego, CA$253,000$198,000 – $329,0001.17x$216,000
Columbia, SC$189,000$148,000 – $246,0000.90x$210,000

See all 81 cities for Director of Frontend Engineering →

Salary by role in Columbia

Salary comparison by role in Columbia
RoleMedianRange
Principal Quantitative Researcher$321,000$251,000 – $418,000
Technical Fellow$318,000$248,000 – $414,000
Principal AI Research Scientist$312,000$243,000 – $405,000
Director of Frontend Engineering$189,000$148,000 – $246,000
Transformer Architecture Engineer$189,000$141,000 – $247,000
Staff Embedded Systems Engineer$189,000$147,000 – $245,000
Staff Build/Release Engineer$189,000$147,000 – $245,000
Staff Data Warehouse Engineer$189,000$148,000 – $246,000

What you should know

Columbia is South Carolina's capital and home to Fort Jackson, the University of South Carolina, and a growing insurance and financial services sector. The city offers very affordable living and stable government and military employment. Tech growth is accelerating as remote work brings new residents. That is the backdrop for every Director of Frontend Engineering offer you will see here.

One thing people overlook: taxes. South Carolina's top income tax rate is 6.4%. Columbia has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by very affordable housing and living costs. The salary on the offer letter is not the salary in your bank account. Always model your take home before you accept.

On negotiation: Leverage government and military contractor pay scales. Columbia employers align with federal benchmarks which often exceed local private sector rates. The range for Director of Frontend Engineerings in Columbia runs from $148,000 to $246,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology

Interactive

Is your offer competitive?

Enter your Director of Frontend Engineering offer to see where you stand in Columbia.

$

25th

$148,000

Median

$189,000

75th

$246,000

Considering a related role?

  • A Senior LLM Engineer in Columbia earns $188,000 (1% less)
  • The highest-paying role in Columbia is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $321,000

Common questions.

The national median for a Director of Frontend Engineering is $210,000. In Columbia, cost of living adjustments push the median to $189,000. That discount reflects Columbia's lower housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

Columbia is South Carolina's capital and home to Fort Jackson, the University of South Carolina, and a growing insurance and financial services sector. The city offers very affordable living and stable government and military employment. For Director of Frontend Engineerings specifically, the breadth of hiring across sectors signals sustained demand. The current compensation range of $148,000 to $246,000 reflects a market that is competing for talent.

South Carolina's top income tax rate is 6.4%. Columbia has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by very affordable housing and living costs. When comparing offers across states, your take home pay matters more than the number on the offer letter. A lower salary in a no income tax state can net more than a higher one elsewhere.

Director of Frontend Engineering hiring in Columbia typically involves three to five rounds: a recruiter screen, a technical or skills assessment, one or two team interviews, and a final conversation with leadership. Companies in Columbia's Government sector may add domain specific evaluations. The process usually takes two to four weeks. Prepare by researching the company and practicing with Orbyt's Interview Prep tool.

It depends on the position and employer. Many Director of Frontend Engineerings in Columbia are classified as exempt salaried employees without overtime eligibility. However, performance bonuses of 10 to 20% are common. When evaluating the $148,000 to $246,000 range, ask about the total compensation structure during negotiation.

Columbia's cost of living multiplier is 0.90x the national average. The adjusted median Director of Frontend Engineering salary of $189,000 accounts for this. In practice, a Director of Frontend Engineering earning $189,000 in Columbia has roughly the same purchasing power as someone earning $210,000 in an average cost market.

Director of Frontend Engineering salary in other cities

Austin$208,000
Atlanta$221,000
Anchorage$240,000
Albuquerque$177,000
Arlington$259,000
Albany$208,000

Other salaries in Columbia

Chief AI Officer$290,000
Chief Human Resources Officer$218,000
Chief Operating Officer$225,000
Chief Product Officer$245,000

Related

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Cite this data

Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

"Director of Frontend Engineering Salary in Columbia, SC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, April 2026. https://www.orbytjobs.ai/salaries/director-of-frontend-engineering/columbia-sc

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