SalaryExplorer

SOC 15-1252 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Software Developers — Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC · 6 metro areas compared

$125,760 /year
$60.46per hour
260jobs in area
−7.5%vs US median

At $125,760, median pay for Software Developers in Hilton Head Island, SC tracks the national median of $135,980 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $135,98010TH$69,95025TH$100,000MEDIAN$125,76075TH$171,67090TH$229,730

How pay has moved

$151,488$67,20320212022202320242025$125,760
$81,250 in 2021 to $125,760 in 2025, +54.8% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow much faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+15.8%
Openings per year
115,200
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC.

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

At $125,760, median pay for Software Developers in Hilton Head Island, SC tracks the national median of $135,980 closely. Pay ranges from under $69,950 at the tenth percentile to more than $229,730 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $100,000 to $171,670.

The area has 260 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.29 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Charleston records the highest median at $132,150. Of the 270 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 10th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$69,950−48.6%
25th$100,000−26.5%
Median (50th)$125,760−7.5%
75th$171,670+26.2%
90th$229,730+68.9%
Mean$138,790+2.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in South Carolina

Median annual wage for Software Developers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Charleston$132,1502,050
2Columbia$123,3802,070
3Sumter$121,88050
4Greenville$121,7902,070
5Spartanburg$114,460440
6Florence$108,460250

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Hilton Head Island sit close to the national average, so $125,760 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$125,760as reported by BLS

Local price level

98.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$128,327US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $125,760 a year, 7.5% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $69,950 to $229,730 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 260 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Charleston, at $132,150.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Software Developers in Hilton Head Island, SC?

The median annual wage is $125,760, or $60.46 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 $135,980, so pay in Hilton Head Island, SC is 7.5% 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 Hilton Head Island, SC earns more than $229,730 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $69,950 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 Charleston, at $132,150 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 260 jobs in this occupation in Hilton Head Island, 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.

Software Developers Salary in Hilton Head Island, SC (2025): $125,760 Median | Salary Explorer