StateRates

Charleston-North Charleston salaries

The median worker in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earned $47,620 a year in 2024, about $22.89 an hour. That ranks #157 of the 391 metro areas published here, 3.8% below the national median.

South Carolina

Median pay $47,620 $22.89 per hour
Vs national -3.8% U.S. $49,500
Workers 388,220 wage and salary
Metro rank #157 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Charleston-North Charleston pays 6.4% more than South Carolina as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +6.4% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +48.5% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Charleston-North Charleston.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Cargo and Freight Agents 4.82× 1,190 $51,420
Orderlies 4.26× 570 $38,950
Automotive Body and Related Repairers 2.77× 1,080 $61,620
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 2.73× 560 $72,130
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 2.46× 580 $83,080
Advertising Sales Agents 2.45× 600 $78,000
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 2.42× 1,060 $43,260
Pest Control Workers 2.15× 520 $38,500
Logisticians 2.13× 1,260 $80,850
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 2.06× 920 $50,180
Paralegals and Legal Assistants 2.01× 1,860 $50,830
Childcare Workers 1.93× 2,530 $29,590

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Charleston-North Charleston
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Nurse Anesthetists $230,860 $110.99 210
Chief Executives $190,080 $91.39 490
Architectural and Engineering Managers $168,290 $80.91 600
Computer and Information Systems Managers $157,580 $75.76 870
Dentists, General $149,280 $71.77 400
Pharmacists $140,390 $67.50 1,070
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $134,430 $64.63 450
Purchasing Managers $133,770 $64.31 220
Veterinarians $132,640 $63.77 250
Financial Managers $132,490 $63.70 1,530
Materials Engineers $130,760 $62.87 210
Computer Occupations, All Other $127,460 $61.28 1,720
Computer Network Architects $127,020 $61.07 320
Physician Assistants $126,880 $61.00 550
Marketing Managers $126,630 $60.88 600
Human Resources Managers $126,330 $60.74 370
Engineers, All Other $126,170 $60.66 490
Industrial Production Managers $126,140 $60.65 1,030
Sales Managers $125,570 $60.37 1,340
Managers, All Other $125,540 $60.36 640
Software Developers $124,790 $60.00 2,030
Nurse Practitioners $123,100 $59.18 1,260
Computer and Information Research Scientists $122,760 $59.02 400
Medical and Health Services Managers $121,120 $58.23 1,470
Computer Hardware Engineers $120,810 $58.08 230
Electrical Engineers $114,880 $55.23 470
Mechanical Engineers $107,140 $51.51 790
Lawyers $105,640 $50.79 1,560
Industrial Engineers $105,510 $50.72 1,050
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $105,160 $50.56 290
Construction Managers $104,210 $50.10 960
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,990 $49.03 480
General and Operations Managers $101,900 $48.99 6,960
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,490 n/a 780
Physical Therapists $101,020 $48.57 750
Facilities Managers $100,840 $48.48 280
Operations Research Analysts $100,690 $48.41 310
Financial and Investment Analysts $100,570 $48.35 810
Computer Systems Analysts $100,400 $48.27 1,720
Personal Financial Advisors $99,330 $47.76 350
Information Security Analysts $99,150 $47.67 320
Civil Engineers $98,880 $47.54 1,280
Management Analysts $97,090 $46.68 1,940
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $97,000 $46.63 570
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $96,590 $46.44 280
Occupational Therapists $95,900 $46.10 350
Speech-Language Pathologists $94,870 $45.61 390
Project Management Specialists $94,280 $45.33 2,850
Compliance Officers $92,750 $44.59 1,250
Dental Hygienists $91,310 $43.90 590
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $90,600 $43.56 630
Financial Specialists, All Other $89,460 $43.01 270
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $87,240 $41.94 320
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $83,300 $40.05 200
Data Scientists $83,210 $40.00 460
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians $83,080 $39.94 580
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $83,060 $39.94 1,090
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $82,620 $39.72 320
Training and Development Specialists $82,140 $39.49 1,180
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $81,680 $39.27 250

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Charleston-North Charleston by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Retail Salespersons 12,630 $30,610 $14.72
Fast Food and Counter Workers 9,760 $28,450 $13.68
Registered Nurses 9,560 $80,620 $38.76
Waiters and Waitresses 9,100 $18,890 $9.08
Cashiers 8,530 $28,630 $13.77
Customer Service Representatives 8,440 $40,690 $19.56
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 7,680 $37,200 $17.89
Office Clerks, General 7,320 $39,900 $19.18
General and Operations Managers 6,960 $101,900 $48.99
Stockers and Order Fillers 5,980 $35,760 $17.19
Cooks, Restaurant 5,930 $36,630 $17.61
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,890 $55,530 $26.70
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,520 $30,070 $14.46
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 5,080 $48,030 $23.09
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 4,410 $46,870 $22.54
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 4,190 $44,980 $21.63
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 4,140 $59,880 n/a
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 4,040 $65,680 $31.58
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 4,000 $61,890 $29.75
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 3,840 $79,190 $38.07

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other South Carolina metro areas

Charleston-North Charleston pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Charleston-North Charleston?

The median across all occupations is $47,620, or $22.89 an hour, covering 388,220 wage and salary workers. The mean is $61,670, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Charleston-North Charleston pay more than the rest of South Carolina?

Yes. The metro median of $47,620 is 6.4% above the South Carolina median of $44,760. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Charleston-North Charleston?

Nurse Anesthetists ($230,860), Chief Executives ($190,080), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($168,290). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Charleston-North Charleston unusually full of?

Cargo and Freight Agents, at 4.82× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.