SOC 47-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Carpenters — South Carolina
South Carolina · 8 metro areas compared
In South Carolina the median wage is $50,670.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.5%
- Openings per year
- 74,100
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
26.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for South Carolina.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In South Carolina the median wage is $50,670. That is 16.4% lower than the national median of $60,580. Pay ranges from under $36,010 at the tenth percentile to more than $79,040 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $43,620 to $62,610.
Employment stands at 6,950, or 3.0 jobs per thousand held locally. South Carolina ranks number 39th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Spartanburg records the highest median at $51,750. Of the 713 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 393rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,010 | −40.6% |
| 25th | $43,620 | −28.0% |
| Median (50th) | $50,670 | −16.4% |
| 75th | $62,610 | +3.4% |
| 90th | $79,040 | +30.5% |
| Mean | $55,350 | −8.6% |
Highest-paying metro areas in South Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spartanburg | $51,750 | 300 | |
| 2 | Charleston | $50,380 | 1,240 | |
| 3 | Greenville | $50,090 | 1,340 | |
| 4 | Florence | $49,250 | 130 | |
| 5 | Hilton Head Island | $49,070 | 440 | |
| 6 | Columbia | $48,070 | 880 | |
| 7 | Myrtle Beach | $47,750 | 510 | |
| 8 | Sumter | $45,700 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in South Carolina run 6.3% below the national average, so the median of $50,670 goes as far as $54,077 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 10.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$50,670as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$54,077US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $50,670 a year, 16.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,010 to $79,040 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 6,950 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 39th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Spartanburg, at $51,750.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Carpenters in South Carolina?
The median annual wage is $50,670, or $24.36 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $60,580, so pay in South Carolina is 16.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in South Carolina earns more than $79,040 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,010 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Spartanburg, at $51,750 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 6,950 jobs in this occupation in South Carolina. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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