Executive Assistant salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Charleston-North Charleston pays executive assistants more than South Carolina as a whole but less than the country. The median is $65,470 a year1: 7.5% above the South Carolina statewide median of $60,890 and 14.5% below the US median of $76,590. Nationally it ranks #203 of 509 areas. BLS counts about 530 people in this job here, 14% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Charleston-North Charleston, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Charleston-North Charleston against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $46,850 | $65,470 | $98,410 | |
| South Carolina | $42,600 | $60,890 | $92,370 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Charleston-North Charleston earns $52,000–$80,600. The top tenth earns $98,410 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.2 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $28,600 wide, between the figure for South Carolina ($26,870) and the US figure ($33,000).
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,850 | $3,904 | $22.52 | $60,452 |
| 25th percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25.00 | $67,097 |
| Median | $65,470 | $5,456 | $31.48 | $84,477 |
| 75th percentile | $80,600 | $6,717 | $38.75 | $104,000 |
| 90th percentile | $98,410 | $8,201 | $47.31 | $126,981 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,470 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $15,130, or about $19,523 once benefits are added. 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 $76,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Charleston-North Charleston, and the South Carolina statewide median of $60,890 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Charleston-North Charleston
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 $19,007 to the $65,470 median and brings it to $84,477 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 5.8 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 7.0 times the remote figure of $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Charleston-North Charleston
Of the 17 roles we track in Charleston-North Charleston, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($65,650) and sales development representatives ($62,600). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,730.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +0.7% | 4,650 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.3% | 2,160 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 530 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.4% | 4,290 | |
| Paralegal | -12.9% | 1,490 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Charleston-North Charleston (-14.5%), between sales development representatives (-10.6%) and marketing specialists (-16.6%). The typical role here is at -5.2%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Charleston-North Charleston than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 1.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Charleston-North Charleston, 1.6% across South Carolina and 2.9% 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 $56,230 in Columbia to $71,130 in Greenville-Anderson, a gap of $14,900 a year. Of the 2 areas in South Carolina with more executive assistants than Charleston-North Charleston, 1 pays less: Columbia, SC ($56,230).
| Area | Median | vs Charleston-North Charleston | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | +8.6% | 680 | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | this area | 530 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -4.3% | 170 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -4.9% | 70 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -8.0% | 140 | |
| Florence, SC | -8.8% | 110 | |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | -11.1% | 70 |
Charleston-North Charleston against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Charleston-North Charleston is #106 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside South Carolina, Tucson and Appleton pay just above Charleston-North Charleston and Lincoln and Racine-Mount Pleasant just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Charleston-North Charleston. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Charleston-North Charleston | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +0.5% | 530 | jobs | |
| Appleton, WI | +0.2% | 130 | pay | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.1% | 720 | pay | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | this area | 530 | ||
| Lincoln, NE | -0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | -0.1% | 80 | pay | |
| Wichita, KS | -4.9% | 540 | jobs | |
| Ogden, UT | -11.7% | 540 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
About $84,477 a year at the median, or $7,040 a month: $65,470 in pay plus about $19,007 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Charleston-North Charleston?
The median was $65,470 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,850, the 90th $98,410, and the middle half earned $52,000 to $80,600.
Is Charleston-North Charleston cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for executive assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $65,470 against $60,890 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Greenville-Anderson at $71,130, the next down Spartanburg at $62,640.
How many executive assistants work in Charleston-North Charleston?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the South Carolina total of 3,880. Only Columbia and Greenville-Anderson have more in South Carolina.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a sales development representative in Charleston-North Charleston?
Yes: $2,870 a year more at the median. The medians are $65,470 and $62,600.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Charleston-North Charleston?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $84,477 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: 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.