Cost of hiring in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
BLS counts about 43,050 people in these 17 roles in Charleston-North Charleston1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($94,730 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($37,220), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 7,940 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Charleston-North Charleston
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +0.5% | 210 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +0.4% | 4,420 | |
| Bookkeeper | -0.5% | 3,350 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -1.7% | 7,940 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.9% | 70 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.1% | 2,160 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.8% | 3,040 | |
| Office Manager | -5.2% | 4,650 | |
| Accountant | -5.2% | 2,600 | |
| HR Assistant | -5.5% | 160 | |
| Recruiter | -7.1% | 2,190 | |
| Project Coordinator | -7.4% | 3,510 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -7.4% | 280 | |
| Paralegal | -9.3% | 1,490 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -10.6% | 4,290 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.5% | 530 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -16.6% | 2,160 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $44,000 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $56,774 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Charleston-North Charleston against the US
Charleston-North Charleston pays below the US median for 14 of the 17 roles, furthest for marketing specialists (-16.6%). For data entry specialists, administrative assistants and bookkeepers it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -5.2%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for bookkeepers, #126 of 521 areas by median pay; its lowest is for HR assistants, #210 of 384.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Charleston-North Charleston has more paralegals (3.5% of these jobs here, against 2.5% nationally) and sales development representatives (10.0% against 7.9%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.2% against 0.5%) and executive assistants (1.2% against 2.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Duluth, MN-WI is nearest, at -5.2%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa, TX | -5.0% | 16 | 6,940 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | -5.2% (this area) | 17 | 43,050 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -5.2% | 15 | 9,370 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -5.2% | 17 | 51,290 |
| Santa Fe, NM | -5.4% | 13 | 7,600 |
| Rockford, IL | -5.4% | 17 | 11,210 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Charleston-North Charleston span $36,590–$141,600, the widest band (3.9×); data entry specialists the narrowest, $32,730–$50,490. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 6 of 17 roles, data entry specialists most ($31,200–$58,790 across the US). Budget from the median for marketing specialists, sales development representatives, accountants and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($78,940 against a $65,650 median for marketing specialists).
Charleston-North Charleston against South Carolina
Against South Carolina as a whole, Charleston-North Charleston pays more for 15 of 17 roles, led by customer support specialists (+13.2%) and medical administrative assistants (+11.1%), and less only for marketing specialists (-5.5%). It has the highest median in South Carolina for accountants, recruiters and office managers and 7 more roles.
Other areas in South Carolina
By jobs in these roles, Charleston-North Charleston is #3 of 11 areas in South Carolina. The table shows the other 10.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC | 47,890 | 17 |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | 46,700 | 17 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | 14,720 | 16 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 13,230 | 17 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | 8,860 | 16 |
| Florence, SC | 8,060 | 14 |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | 7,290 | 16 |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | 6,050 | 16 |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | 4,310 | 13 |
| Sumter, SC | 3,280 | 13 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Charleston-North Charleston?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $94,730 a year, about $122,232 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $37,220.
Is hiring in Charleston-North Charleston cheaper than the US median?
Mostly: no role pays more than the US median, and 14 of 17 pay less.
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.