South CarolinaCOL index: 105

Salaries in Charleston, SC

Charleston, South Carolina offers career opportunities with 6.5% state income tax. Browse salary data for every major occupation below — all figures are Charleston-specific, updated quarterly from BLS and H-1B disclosures.

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Population

150,227

COL index

105 / 100

Avg 1BR rent

$1,750/mo

State income tax

6.5%

Technology salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Software Engineer	$95K	$130K	$165K	$210K	+4.2%
Data Scientist	$100K	$138K	$175K	$220K	+5.1%
Product Manager	$110K	$148K	$190K	$240K	+3.8%
DevOps Engineer	$105K	$140K	$178K	$215K	+6.2%
Cybersecurity Analyst	$85K	$115K	$148K	$185K	+7.3%
UX Designer	$72K	$99K	$130K	$165K	+3.1%
Machine Learning Engineer	$125K	$168K	$215K	$275K	+8.4%
Cloud Architect	$130K	$170K	$215K	$265K	+6.8%
Frontend Developer	$82K	$112K	$145K	$185K	+4.5%
Backend Developer	$90K	$125K	$160K	$200K	+4.3%
Full Stack Developer	$88K	$120K	$155K	$195K	+4.6%
Mobile Developer	$90K	$125K	$162K	$205K	+5.2%
Data Engineer	$98K	$132K	$168K	$210K	+6.5%
Data Analyst	$60K	$82K	$108K	$140K	+4%
Database Administrator	$78K	$105K	$135K	$170K	+2.8%
Systems Administrator	$62K	$86K	$112K	$142K	+2.2%
Network Engineer	$75K	$100K	$130K	$165K	+3%
IT Manager	$100K	$135K	$172K	$215K	+3.5%
Scrum Master	$88K	$115K	$145K	$180K	+3.2%
Solutions Architect	$120K	$158K	$200K	$250K	+5.8%
AI Engineer	$130K	$175K	$225K	$290K	+12%
Blockchain Developer	$110K	$150K	$195K	$250K	+7.5%
QA Engineer	$70K	$95K	$125K	$158K	+3%
Site Reliability Engineer	$115K	$152K	$192K	$238K	+7%
Embedded Systems Engineer	$85K	$112K	$142K	$178K	+3.8%
Technical Writer	$58K	$79K	$102K	$130K	+2.5%
IT Support Specialist	$42K	$58K	$76K	$98K	+2%
Information Security Manager	$115K	$152K	$195K	$245K	+7.8%
Penetration Tester	$88K	$118K	$152K	$195K	+8.2%
Computer Vision Engineer	$120K	$162K	$208K	$265K	+9.5%
NLP Engineer	$125K	$168K	$215K	$272K	+10.2%
Game Developer	$72K	$98K	$132K	$172K	+4.8%
Salesforce Developer	$90K	$120K	$155K	$195K	+5.5%
ERP Consultant	$85K	$115K	$150K	$190K	+3.8%

Healthcare salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Registered Nurse	$64K	$80K	$102K	$127K	+3.5%
Physician Assistant	$106K	$127K	$152K	$181K	+4.8%
Physical Therapist	$74K	$93K	$113K	$137K	+3.2%
Healthcare Administrator	$71K	$102K	$137K	$181K	+4.1%
Nurse Practitioner	$98K	$119K	$142K	$172K	+5.2%
Pharmacist	$116K	$129K	$145K	$162K	+1.2%
Medical Doctor	$191K	$243K	$314K	$412K	+2.8%
Dentist	$145K	$176K	$221K	$284K	+2.5%
Occupational Therapist	$71K	$88K	$108K	$129K	+3.8%
Radiologist	$284K	$372K	$461K	$549K	+2.2%
Surgeon	$274K	$372K	$490K	$637K	+2.5%
Anesthesiologist	$294K	$382K	$470K	$568K	+2.1%
Medical Lab Technician	$41K	$55K	$71K	$88K	+3.2%
Respiratory Therapist	$57K	$71K	$88K	$110K	+3.8%
Speech-Language Pathologist	$67K	$83K	$103K	$125K	+4.2%
Clinical Psychologist	$71K	$93K	$123K	$159K	+3.5%
Psychiatrist	$191K	$243K	$304K	$392K	+3.8%
Medical Coder	$41K	$54K	$69K	$86K	+2.8%
ICU Nurse	$76K	$96K	$120K	$147K	+4%
Surgical Technologist	$44K	$57K	$71K	$88K	+3.5%
Paramedic	$37K	$49K	$64K	$80K	+3.2%
Registered Dietitian	$51K	$67K	$84K	$106K	+3.5%
Optometrist	$110K	$135K	$165K	$206K	+2.8%
Genetic Counselor	$71K	$88K	$108K	$132K	+5.8%

Finance salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Financial Analyst	$67K	$93K	$127K	$176K	+3.6%
Accountant	$54K	$76K	$103K	$137K	+2.2%
Investment Banker	$118K	$176K	$274K	$441K	+3.9%
Actuary	$93K	$123K	$159K	$201K	+5.5%
Financial Advisor	$57K	$93K	$145K	$225K	+3.8%
Portfolio Manager	$113K	$159K	$221K	$314K	+4.2%
Risk Analyst	$67K	$90K	$120K	$155K	+4.5%
Tax Manager	$93K	$125K	$162K	$206K	+3%
Financial Controller	$103K	$137K	$178K	$230K	+3.2%
Chief Financial Officer	$172K	$245K	$353K	$510K	+3.5%
Credit Analyst	$51K	$69K	$90K	$118K	+2.8%
Mortgage Loan Officer	$47K	$71K	$106K	$159K	+2.5%
Compliance Officer	$71K	$96K	$127K	$169K	+4.8%
Hedge Fund Analyst	$113K	$162K	$235K	$372K	+3.5%
Private Equity Analyst	$108K	$155K	$221K	$343K	+4%
Quantitative Analyst	$123K	$169K	$225K	$314K	+6.2%
Bookkeeper	$37K	$47K	$59K	$74K	+1%
Budget Analyst	$61K	$80K	$102K	$127K	+2.5%
Insurance Underwriter	$57K	$76K	$100K	$129K	+2%
Venture Capital Analyst	$93K	$132K	$181K	$255K	+5.5%

Engineering salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Mechanical Engineer	$71K	$94K	$122K	$152K	+2.8%
Petroleum Engineer	$108K	$142K	$184K	$235K	+1.5%
Civil Engineer	$67K	$88K	$116K	$147K	+3.4%
Electrical Engineer	$76K	$103K	$133K	$167K	+3.1%
Chemical Engineer	$78K	$106K	$137K	$174K	+2.5%
Aerospace Engineer	$88K	$120K	$155K	$194K	+3.8%
Industrial Engineer	$71K	$94K	$122K	$155K	+3.5%
Environmental Engineer	$67K	$90K	$118K	$149K	+4.2%
Biomedical Engineer	$71K	$96K	$125K	$159K	+5.2%
Structural Engineer	$69K	$90K	$118K	$149K	+3.2%
Nuclear Engineer	$93K	$123K	$155K	$194K	+2.2%
Materials Engineer	$71K	$96K	$125K	$159K	+3%
Geotechnical Engineer	$67K	$88K	$116K	$147K	+3.5%
Controls Engineer	$76K	$102K	$131K	$165K	+4%
Manufacturing Engineer	$69K	$93K	$120K	$152K	+3.2%
Process Engineer	$71K	$96K	$125K	$159K	+3.5%
Quality Engineer	$64K	$86K	$113K	$145K	+3%

Business salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Marketing Manager	$78K	$110K	$152K	$200K	+3.3%
Human Resources Manager	$75K	$104K	$140K	$180K	+2.9%
Project Manager	$72K	$98K	$132K	$170K	+3.7%
Operations Manager	$68K	$98K	$135K	$180K	+2.5%
Business Analyst	$62K	$85K	$112K	$145K	+3.8%
Management Consultant	$80K	$115K	$162K	$225K	+4.2%
Supply Chain Manager	$78K	$108K	$142K	$182K	+4.5%
Sales Manager	$72K	$105K	$152K	$215K	+3.5%
Account Executive	$55K	$78K	$112K	$162K	+3.8%
Chief Executive Officer	$155K	$235K	$380K	$620K	+3.2%
Chief Operating Officer	$145K	$210K	$320K	$480K	+3%
Chief Marketing Officer	$145K	$210K	$308K	$460K	+3.5%
General Manager	$75K	$108K	$152K	$210K	+2.8%
Logistics Coordinator	$42K	$56K	$72K	$92K	+3.5%
Purchasing Manager	$78K	$108K	$140K	$178K	+2.5%
Digital Marketing Manager	$68K	$95K	$128K	$168K	+5.5%
SEO Specialist	$48K	$65K	$88K	$118K	+5.8%
Content Strategist	$55K	$75K	$100K	$130K	+5.2%
Brand Manager	$72K	$98K	$132K	$172K	+3.5%
Recruiter	$48K	$65K	$88K	$120K	+3.2%
Executive Assistant	$52K	$68K	$88K	$112K	+1.8%
Public Relations Manager	$68K	$95K	$130K	$172K	+3%
Event Planner	$42K	$56K	$75K	$100K	+3.8%

Education salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
K-12 Teacher	$43K	$60K	$79K	$101K	+1.8%
University Professor	$62K	$86K	$125K	$182K	+2.1%
School Principal	$79K	$98K	$120K	$146K	+2.2%
Instructional Designer	$56K	$73K	$94K	$120K	+4.5%
School Counselor	$46K	$60K	$77K	$96K	+3%
Special Education Teacher	$46K	$62K	$81K	$104K	+3.5%
Curriculum Developer	$53K	$69K	$88K	$113K	+3.8%
Education Administrator	$69K	$91K	$117K	$149K	+2.5%
Librarian	$46K	$60K	$77K	$96K	+1.5%
Academic Advisor	$38K	$50K	$65K	$83K	+3%

Legal salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Attorney	$76K	$125K	$204K	$343K	+3.5%
Paralegal	$41K	$55K	$73K	$93K	+3.8%
Corporate Lawyer	$113K	$172K	$274K	$441K	+3.8%
Patent Attorney	$132K	$181K	$243K	$333K	+4.2%
Compliance Lawyer	$98K	$142K	$194K	$260K	+5%
Judge	$93K	$132K	$178K	$235K	+1.5%
Legal Operations Manager	$93K	$127K	$167K	$216K	+6.5%

Construction salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Construction Manager	$80K	$107K	$141K	$184K	+4.5%
Electrician	$53K	$69K	$90K	$117K	+6.2%
Plumber	$53K	$69K	$92K	$120K	+5.5%
HVAC Technician	$49K	$63K	$82K	$104K	+5.8%
Welder	$39K	$51K	$65K	$84K	+3.5%
Carpenter	$43K	$57K	$75K	$97K	+4%
Land Surveyor	$59K	$80K	$104K	$133K	+3.8%
Construction Estimator	$63K	$86K	$112K	$145K	+4.2%

Real Estate salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Real Estate Agent	$38K	$62K	$105K	$180K	+3.5%
Real Estate Broker	$55K	$95K	$162K	$275K	+3.5%
Property Manager	$48K	$65K	$88K	$118K	+3.2%
Real Estate Appraiser	$52K	$72K	$98K	$132K	+2.8%
Commercial Real Estate Analyst	$62K	$88K	$120K	$162K	+4%

Government salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Urban Planner	$58K	$77K	$98K	$125K	+3.8%
Social Worker	$38K	$53K	$69K	$88K	+3.5%
Firefighter	$40K	$56K	$75K	$98K	+2.8%
Police Officer	$46K	$62K	$84K	$110K	+2.5%
Military Officer	$53K	$79K	$110K	$149K	+2%
Public Health Official	$65K	$88K	$115K	$149K	+4.5%
Policy Analyst	$56K	$75K	$98K	$127K	+3.5%
Government Budget Officer	$60K	$79K	$101K	$130K	+2.5%

Science salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Biologist	$53K	$75K	$101K	$134K	+3.5%
Chemist	$56K	$77K	$104K	$136K	+3.2%
Physicist	$75K	$108K	$146K	$192K	+4%
Geologist	$60K	$84K	$113K	$149K	+3.8%
Epidemiologist	$65K	$86K	$113K	$146K	+4.5%
Biochemist	$60K	$84K	$117K	$156K	+4.2%
Environmental Scientist	$53K	$73K	$96K	$127K	+4.8%
Research Scientist	$69K	$94K	$127K	$168K	+4.5%
Pharmaceutical Data Scientist	$101K	$136K	$175K	$219K	+7.5%
Clinical Research Coordinator	$46K	$60K	$77K	$98K	+5.5%
Laboratory Manager	$62K	$84K	$110K	$142K	+3.8%

Creative salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Graphic Designer	$40K	$56K	$75K	$98K	+3%
Art Director	$69K	$96K	$130K	$171K	+2.8%
Video Producer	$46K	$65K	$91K	$130K	+4.2%
Copywriter	$43K	$60K	$82K	$110K	+3.5%
Photographer	$31K	$44K	$65K	$96K	+3%
Animator	$50K	$69K	$94K	$130K	+4.5%
Journalist	$36K	$50K	$69K	$98K	+1.5%
Social Media Manager	$43K	$58K	$79K	$106K	+6.5%
Interior Designer	$40K	$56K	$77K	$104K	+3.2%
Fashion Designer	$46K	$65K	$94K	$139K	+2.5%
Music Producer	$36K	$60K	$101K	$178K	+3.5%
UX Researcher	$79K	$108K	$139K	$178K	+5.5%

Hospitality salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Hotel Manager	$53K	$73K	$100K	$138K	+3.2%
Executive Chef	$53K	$69K	$94K	$131K	+3.8%
Restaurant Manager	$43K	$57K	$75K	$100K	+3.5%
Travel Agent	$36K	$47K	$63K	$87K	+3%
Sommelier	$43K	$59K	$84K	$117K	+3.2%

Retail salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Retail Store Manager	$40K	$56K	$75K	$101K	+2%
Sales Representative	$40K	$60K	$88K	$132K	+3.5%
Retail Buyer	$50K	$69K	$94K	$125K	+2.5%
E-Commerce Manager	$60K	$82K	$110K	$146K	+7.5%
Business Development Manager	$69K	$98K	$134K	$184K	+4.5%

Transportation salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Airline Pilot	$103K	$157K	$230K	$323K	+5.2%
Logistics Manager	$71K	$96K	$127K	$165K	+4.5%
Truck Driver (CDL)	$41K	$51K	$67K	$86K	+4.8%
Transportation Planner	$61K	$80K	$106K	$137K	+4.2%
Fleet Manager	$57K	$76K	$100K	$129K	+4%

Energy salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Energy Engineer	$76K	$103K	$135K	$172K	+6.5%
Solar Installer	$41K	$51K	$67K	$86K	+22%
Wind Turbine Technician	$47K	$59K	$74K	$96K	+45%
Oil & Gas Operations Manager	$108K	$145K	$188K	$243K	+2%
Energy Analyst	$61K	$83K	$110K	$142K	+6%

Nonprofit salaries in Charleston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Nonprofit Executive Director	$58K	$80K	$111K	$155K	+3.2%
Grant Writer	$45K	$58K	$75K	$96K	+3.5%
Fundraising Manager	$49K	$66K	$89K	$122K	+3.8%
Case Manager	$36K	$47K	$60K	$77K	+3.5%
Community Outreach Coordinator	$36K	$47K	$61K	$79K	+3.8%

Working in Charleston, South Carolina: Salary Guide (2026)

Charleston is home to the Charleston–SC metropolitan area with a population of 150,227. The city has a cost of living index of 105 (US average = 100), meaning living costs are close to the US average.

South Carolina has a 6.5% state income tax rate. When comparing offers with cities in no-income-tax states like Texas, Washington, or Florida, factor in this difference.

Top-paying industries in Charleston

Charleston's economy spans multiple high-wage sectors. The city's diverse employer base creates strong demand across technology, healthcare, finance, and professional services.

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