Cost of hiring in Charleston, WV
BLS counts about 9,840 people in these 16 roles in Charleston1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($89,600 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($32,810), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 1,650 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Charleston
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | -8.4% | 1,630 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -11.4% | 110 | |
| Project Coordinator | -12.4% | 390 | |
| Paralegal | -12.9% | 480 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -13.7% | 800 | |
| Bookkeeper | -14.4% | 1,050 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -16.1% | 280 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -16.3% | 1,650 | |
| Office Manager | -17.0% | 1,070 | |
| HR Assistant | -17.1% | 110 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.7% | 230 | |
| Recruiter | -19.0% | 540 | |
| Accountant | -20.5% | 890 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -22.5% | 80 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -27.3% | 270 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -35.9% | 260 |
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 $37,480 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $48,361 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Charleston against the US
Charleston pays below the US median for all 16 roles. The gap is smallest for administrative assistants (-8.4%) and data entry specialists (-11.4%) and largest for marketing specialists (-35.9%). The middle gap across all 16 is -16.7%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for paralegals, #281 of 506 areas by median pay; its lowest is for marketing specialists, #489 of 516.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Charleston has more paralegals (4.9% of these jobs here, against 2.5% nationally) and HR assistants (1.1% against 0.6%), and fewer sales development representatives (2.7% against 8.0%) and marketing specialists (2.6% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Terre Haute, IN is nearest, at -16.7%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah, KY-IL | -16.5% | 15 | 4,800 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | -16.5% | 15 | 5,000 |
| Columbia, MO | -16.5% | 16 | 10,200 |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -16.6% | 14 | 9,120 |
| Charleston, WV | -16.7% (this area) | 16 | 9,840 |
| Terre Haute, IN | -16.7% | 16 | 4,500 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Charleston span $31,820–$129,990, the widest band (4.1×); HR assistants the narrowest, $34,090–$52,410. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 11 of 16 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, paralegals and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($63,740 against a $50,880 median for sales development representatives).
Charleston against West Virginia
Against West Virginia as a whole, Charleston pays more for 6 of 16 roles, led by administrative assistants (+7.9%) and office managers (+7.5%), and less for 9, most of all accountants (-9.2%). It has the highest median in West Virginia for administrative assistants.
Other areas in West Virginia
By jobs in these roles, Charleston is #3 of 9 areas in West Virginia. The table shows the other 8.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | 12,600 | 16 |
| Northern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | 10,350 | 17 |
| Morgantown, WV | 5,530 | 16 |
| Southern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | 5,150 | 16 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 4,830 | 16 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 3,390 | 13 |
| Beckley, WV | 3,140 | 14 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 2,520 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Charleston?
Of the 16 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $89,600 a year, about $115,613 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $32,810.
Is hiring in Charleston cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 16 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for marketing specialists (-35.9%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.