Accountant salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
For this job Hilton Head Island-Bluffton sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $77,610 a year1. That is 1.4% above the South Carolina statewide median of $76,560, and 7.3% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #213 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 470 people in this job here, 3% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | $49,860 | $77,610 | $142,510 | |
| South Carolina | $50,370 | $76,560 | $131,220 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $142,510 or more, 2.9 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of accountants in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $62,610–$101,710. The mean ($88,120) is 14% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $39,100 wide, between the figure for South Carolina ($36,980) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,860 | $4,155 | $23.97 | $64,335 |
| 25th percentile | $62,610 | $5,218 | $30.10 | $80,787 |
| Median | $77,610 | $6,468 | $37.31 | $100,142 |
| 75th percentile | $101,710 | $8,476 | $48.90 | $131,239 |
| 90th percentile | $142,510 | $11,876 | $68.51 | $183,884 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,100 over the median, the 25th only $15,000 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,097 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $76,560 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $22,532 to the $77,610 median and brings it to $100,142 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($79,990); marketing specialists come next at $71,330.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +3.1% | 550 | |
| Accountant | this role | 470 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -8.1% | 450 | |
| Recruiter | -10.1% | 300 | |
| Executive Assistant | -19.8% | 70 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-7.3%), between virtual receptionists (-6.6%) and recruiters (-8.2%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 5.3% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 6.2% across South Carolina and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $68,070 in the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area to $79,350 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $11,280 a year. Of the 5 areas in South Carolina with more accountants than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 4 pay less, the largest of them Columbia, SC ($69,210), Greenville-Anderson, SC ($76,870) and Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($74,520).
| Area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +2.2% | 2,600 | |
| Sumter, SC | +1.1% | 150 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 470 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -0.7% | 800 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 460 | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -1.0% | 2,890 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -4.0% | 850 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #371 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Winchester and Wausau pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Davenport-Moline and Oshkosh-Neenah just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston, NY | +3.8% | 470 | jobs | |
| Wausau, WI | +0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | +0.1% | 590 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 470 | ||
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -0.0% | 1,560 | pay | |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | -0.0% | 690 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IN | -1.2% | 480 | jobs | |
| Manhattan, KS | -15.1% | 470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?
About $100,142 a year at the median, or $8,345 a month: $77,610 in pay plus about $22,532 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
The median was $77,610 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,860, the 90th $142,510, and the middle half earned $62,610 to $101,710.
Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for accountants?
No, it costs more: a median of $77,610 against $76,560 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Sumter at $78,460, the next down Spartanburg at $77,080.
How many accountants work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the South Carolina total of 15,270. 6 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Florence, with about 470.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Yes: $6,280 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,610 and $71,330.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.