SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationCharleston

Charleston-North Charleston, SC · 7 metro areas compared

$65,280 /year
2,430jobs in area
9.4%vs US median

In Charleston, SC the median wage is $65,280.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $72,04010TH$49,27025TH$59,870MEDIAN$65,28075TH$79,28090TH$96,460

Salary overview

In Charleston, SC the median wage is $65,280. That is 9.4% lower than the national median of $72,040. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $59,870 and $79,280. The lowest tenth earn under $49,270, while the highest tenth earn more than $96,460.

The area has 2,430 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.90 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Hilton Head Island leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $65,290. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 195th of 513 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Charleston-North Charleston, SC · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$49,270−31.6%
25th$59,870−16.9%
Median (50th)$65,280−9.4%
75th$79,280+10.0%
90th$96,460+33.9%
Mean$70,340−2.4%

Other metro areas in South Carolina

Median annual wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Hilton Head Island$65,290680
2Greenville$64,0602,700
3Spartanburg$62,9101,120
4Myrtle Beach$62,580790
5Florence$60,950700
6Columbia$60,2803,310
7Sumter$60,110310

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Charleston run 6.3% below the national average, so the median of $65,280 goes as far as $69,669 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.3% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$65,280as reported by BLS

Local price level

93.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$69,669US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $65,280 a year, 9.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $49,270 to $96,460 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 2,430 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Hilton Head Island, at $65,290.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Charleston, SC?

The median annual wage is $65,280, 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 $72,040, so pay in Charleston, SC is 9.4% 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 Charleston, SC earns more than $96,460 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $49,270 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 Hilton Head Island, at $65,290 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 2,430 jobs in this occupation in Charleston, SC. 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.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Charleston, SC (2025): $65,280 Median | Salary Explorer