Average Salary in South Carolina
Wages, household income and cost-of-living context for South Carolina. All figures from federal releases, vintage 2024.
- Mean annual wage$56,990Rank #43 of 51
- Median annual wage$44,760Rank #45 of 51
- Median household income$70,750ACS 2024 1-year
- Regional price parity93.7US = 100
- Adjusted mean wage$60,822Rank #49 at national prices
- Total employment2,271,770Wage & salary workers
What the numbers say
The mean of $56,990 is $12,230 (27.3 %) above the median of $44,760, reflecting a right-skewed wage distribution pulled up by high earners.
Prices in South Carolina are about 6.3 % below the national average (RPP 93.7, where US = 100). After the adjustment, every dollar earned in South Carolina buys what $60,822 would buy at national average prices.
Median household income in South Carolina is $70,750 (Census ACS 2024). That figure counts all income to all people in a household — two-earner couples, Social Security, self-employment earnings — and is not directly comparable to the per-worker wage figures above.
Pay for common occupations in South Carolina
Annual mean wage, cross-industry. Blank rows indicate BLS suppression for this state/occupation cell.
| Occupation | SOC | Mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Manager | 11-2021 | $137,140 |
| Pharmacist | 29-1051 | $135,720 |
| Lawyer | 23-1011 | $132,500 |
| Software Developer | 15-1252 | $119,610 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | 13-2051 | $110,230 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 17-2141 | $107,690 |
| Civil Engineer | 17-2051 | $104,430 |
| Project Management Specialist | 13-1082 | $99,430 |
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