Average Salary in South Carolina
What workers in South Carolina earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$59,280Rank #43 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$46,490Rank #45 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$28.50Median $22.35/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,874Mean $4,940/month
- Median household income$72,350ACS 2024 · rank #39
- Price level (RPP)93.7US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in South Carolina?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in South Carolina is $59,280, and the median annual wage is $46,490, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 15.0% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 8.8% below the national median of $50,980. South Carolina ranks #43 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #45 for median wage.
The mean is $12,790 (28%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in South Carolina earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 2,305,080 wage and salary jobs in South Carolina (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in South Carolina
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $59,280 | $46,490 |
| Monthly | $4,940 | $3,874 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,280 | $1,788 |
| Weekly | $1,140 | $894 |
| Hourly | $28.50 | $22.35 |
Estimate take-home pay on the South Carolina median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in South Carolina?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in South Carolina:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $27,070 | $2,256 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $34,630 | $2,886 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $46,490 | $3,874 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $70,340 | $5,862 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $103,010 | $8,584 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $46,490 beats more than half of South Carolina workers, about $70,340 puts you in the top quarter, and $103,010 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in South Carolina
| Measure (ACS 2024) | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,350 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $90,883 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $40,195 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $42,275 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $60,917 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $50,302 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in South Carolina have median earnings equal to 83% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in South Carolina
Prices in South Carolina are about 6.3% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 93.7; housing 80.5). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $46,490 is worth $49,616 at national-average prices (rank #48), and the mean wage is worth $63,266 (rank #46). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
South Carolina taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
South Carolina vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $59,280 | $46,490 | 93.7 | $49,616 |
| Georgia | $65,920 | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,021 |
| North Carolina | $64,290 | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,870 |
Highest-paying occupations in South Carolina
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $315,380 | $359,500 | 1,260 |
| Physicians, All Other | $286,140 | $274,480 | 4,510 |
| Anesthesiologists | $283,240 | $238,970 | 950 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $276,380 | $265,480 | 1,010 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $268,740 | $302,340 | 350 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $244,960 | $239,200 | 1,200 |
| Pediatricians, General | $233,160 | $217,120 | 420 |
| Chief Executives | $211,720 | $168,840 | 1,740 |
| Dentists, General | $181,570 | $158,640 | 2,140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $173,140 | $169,040 | 3,200 |
Most common jobs in South Carolina and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 67,310 | $30,690 | $14.75 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 65,070 | $27,520 | $13.23 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 56,700 | $37,530 | $18.04 |
| Cashiers | 56,550 | $28,530 | $13.71 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 51,000 | $38,860 | $18.69 |
| Registered Nurses | 49,750 | $82,360 | $39.60 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 47,200 | $18,370 | $8.83 |
| Office Clerks, General | 42,250 | $36,840 | $17.71 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 42,150 | $45,500 | $21.88 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 41,800 | $36,020 | $17.32 |
The largest occupation in South Carolina is retail salespersons, with 67,310 jobs and a median wage of $30,690. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in South Carolina
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in South Carolina?
The average (mean) annual wage in South Carolina is $59,280, or $28.50 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $46,490 a year ($22.35 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in South Carolina?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in South Carolina works out to about $4,940 per month and the median wage to about $3,874 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in South Carolina?
Earning more than the median of $46,490 puts you above half of all workers in South Carolina. A salary of $70,340 or more is in the top 25%, and $103,010 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in South Carolina?
Median household income in South Carolina was $72,350 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does South Carolina have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. South Carolina taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.