Cost of hiring in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 16 jobs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, with about 1,640 people1. Medians run from $35,510 a year for virtual receptionists to $79,990 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +19.2% | 60 | |
| Bookkeeper | -0.8% | 850 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.6% | 1,060 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.6% | 650 | |
| Accountant | -7.3% | 470 | |
| Recruiter | -8.2% | 300 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -9.4% | 740 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.4% | 450 | |
| HR Assistant | -11.2% | n/a | |
| Paralegal | -14.2% | 300 | |
| Office Manager | -15.0% | 960 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -16.0% | 1,640 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -16.5% | 40 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.7% | 70 | |
| Project Coordinator | -21.8% | 550 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -26.3% | 720 |
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 $37,590 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $48,503 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against the US
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton pays above the US median for only one of the 16 roles, data entry specialists (+19.2%), and below it for 14, furthest for sales development representatives (-26.3%). For bookkeepers it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 16 is -10.3%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for data entry specialists, #11 of 394 areas by median pay; its lowest is for project coordinators, #438 of 518.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton has more medical administrative assistants (8.4% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and paralegals (3.4% against 2.5%), and fewer executive assistants (0.8% against 2.9%) and payroll specialists (0.5% against 1.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Flint, MI is nearest, at -10.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Creek, MI | -10.1% | 14 | 3,900 |
| Tucson, AZ | -10.1% | 17 | 35,710 |
| Gainesville, GA | -10.2% | 17 | 8,420 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -10.3% (this area) | 16 | 8,860 |
| Flint, MI | -10.3% | 17 | 11,050 |
| Traverse City, MI | -10.6% | 16 | 6,340 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton span $27,700–$123,200, the widest band (4.4×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $35,940–$57,090. Wider than nationally for virtual receptionists and sales development representatives, narrower for paralegals and recruiters. Budget from the median for sales development representatives, accountants, marketing specialists and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($66,490 against a $51,570 median for sales development representatives).
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina
Against South Carolina as a whole, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton pays more for 8 of 16 roles, led by data entry specialists (+29.4%) and recruiters (+6.7%), and less for 5, most of all project coordinators (-15.8%). It has the highest median in South Carolina for data entry specialists.
Other areas in South Carolina
By jobs in these roles, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #6 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 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 43,050 | 17 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | 14,720 | 16 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 13,230 | 17 |
| 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Of the 16 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $79,990 a year, about $103,213 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,510.
Is hiring in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the US median?
For 14 of the 16 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-26.3%). One pays more than the US median: data entry specialists (+19.2%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.