Salaries · United States · South Carolina
Salaries in South Carolina 2026
The median pay for all jobs in South Carolina is $46,490 a year ($22.35 an hour), 9% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 45th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in South Carolina earn a median of $53,794 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in South Carolina: the key figures
| Figure | South Carolina | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $46,490 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $59,280 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $27,070 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $103,010 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 2,305,080 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $53,794 ± $337 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $69,324 ± $570 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 93.7 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $46,490, a single person keeps about $38,768 a year ($3,231 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, South Carolina income tax. With prices 6% below the US average, $46,490 here buys what $49,600 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $46,490 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,399 |
| Social Security | -$2,882 |
| Medicare | -$674 |
| South Carolina income tax | -$767 |
| Take-home a year | $38,768 |
What drives pay in South Carolina
South Carolina pairs a large factory sector with a fast-growing, lower-paid tourism and retail economy. Manufacturing produced 12.9% of the state's GDP in 2025 (US 9.5%), led by motor vehicles and parts (1.6%, against 0.6% nationally), plastics and rubber (1.2%, against 0.3%) and electrical equipment (1.0%, against 0.3%), according to BEA. Factory workers average $37.51 an hour, against $20.29 in leisure and hospitality, according to the state's Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW).
Factories are not the biggest employers, though. DEW counts health care first, with over 316,000 jobs in 2024, then retail with 268,000 and manufacturing with 263,000. Retail salespersons, fast food workers and cashiers are three of the four most common jobs, with medians between $27,520 and $30,690, and the state's 47,200 waiters and waitresses earn $18,370. With no state minimum wage above the federal $7.25, one worker in ten earns less than $27,070 (US $31,200), while finance (5.2% of GDP, against 8.7%) and professional services (6.4%, against 8.0%) are smaller than nationally. The median is $46,490, 9% below the US and 45th of the 50 states and DC, with prices about 6% below average.
The economy is growing fast. Real GDP rose 20.2% from 2019 to 2025 and 3.3% in 2025, both well ahead of the US, and DEW counted 55,200 more jobs in September 2026 than a year earlier, 17,100 of them in leisure and hospitality. Pay has lagged that growth: DEW finds private hourly earnings rose $10.45 from January 2015 to January 2025, but only $1.95 after inflation.
The highest-paid jobs in South Carolina
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,260 | $359,500 |
| Physicians, All Other | 4,510 | $274,480 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,010 | $265,480 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,200 | $239,200 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,200 | $169,040 |
| Chief Executives | 1,740 | $168,840 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,930 | $160,860 |
| Dentists, General | 2,140 | $158,640 |
| Marketing Managers | 3,760 | $143,290 |
| Financial Managers | 9,020 | $136,160 |
| Pharmacists | 5,320 | $135,700 |
| Computer Network Architects | 1,950 | $134,990 |
| Sales Managers | 9,340 | $131,080 |
| Database Architects | 1,160 | $130,000 |
| Managers, All Other | 2,210 | $129,960 |
The most common jobs in South Carolina
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 40,750 | $30,110 | $14.48 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 34,170 | $51,130 | $24.58 |
| General and Operations Managers | 32,230 | $106,080 | $51.00 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 30,180 | $44,880 | $21.58 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 30,100 | $31,180 | $14.99 |
Pay for careers we cover, in South Carolina
Official BLS medians for South Carolina; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,010 | $265,480 |
| Dentist | 2,140 | $158,640 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 650 | $137,030 |
| Pharmacist | 5,320 | $135,700 |
| Software Engineer | 13,230 | $129,450 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 5,670 | $123,290 |
| Physician Assistant | 2,250 | $122,490 |
| Lawyer | 7,890 | $120,310 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 190 | $112,030 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 1,720 | $105,800 |
| Commercial Pilot | 290 | $105,740 |
| Project Manager | 17,040 | $95,040 |
| Financial Analyst | 3,600 | $93,670 |
| Data Scientist | 3,750 | $91,990 |
| Elevator Technician | 540 | $90,860 |
| Dental Hygienist | 3,160 | $84,340 |
| Registered Nurse | 49,750 | $82,360 |
| UX Designer | 800 | $80,930 |
| Accountant | 15,270 | $76,560 |
| Compliance Officer | 4,760 | $75,460 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,660 | $75,160 |
| Electrician | 8,010 | $58,740 |
| HVAC Technician | 6,920 | $56,610 |
| Plumber | 5,770 | $53,940 |
| Paralegal | 7,420 | $53,880 |
| Welder | 7,380 | $49,980 |
South Carolina and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $46,490 | 93.7 | $49,600 |
| Georgia | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,000 |
| North Carolina | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,900 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in South Carolina, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW), Labor Market Information Division: South Carolina Data Trends, September 2026, September 2026 (PDF dated 20 Oct 2026)
- South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW): South Carolina 2025 Economic Analysis Report (PY2024), 2025 (PDF dated 29 Sep 2025)
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