Question 1

What is the cost of living in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

Accepted Answer

Charleston-North Charleston, SC's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 100.96, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 1% more than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,787/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, the average median wage is $123,875. The single highest-paying occupation here is Anesthesiologists at $308,880/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Charleston-North Charleston?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Charleston-North Charleston, SC are: 1) Anesthesiologists at $308,880; 2) General Internal Medicine Physicians at $303,680; 3) Family Medicine Physicians at $255,650; 4) Nurse Anesthetists at $228,740; 5) Dermatologists at $207,000. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Charleston-North Charleston?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $1,787/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Charleston-North Charleston data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
81	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	Science	$97K	$46.63/hr
82	Web and Digital Interface Designers	Technology	$96K	$46.25/hr
83	Financial Risk Specialists	Business & Finance	$96K	$46.18/hr
84	Project Management Specialists	Business & Finance	$95K	$45.54/hr
85	Dental Hygienists	Healthcare	$95K	$45.46/hr
86	Biological Scientists, All Other	Science	$95K	$45.44/hr
87	Financial Specialists, All Other	Business & Finance	$95K	$45.44/hr
88	Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	Engineering	$95K	$45.44/hr
89	Emergency Management Directors	Management	$94K	$45.35/hr
90	Financial and Investment Analysts	Business & Finance	$94K	$45.17/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Highest paying careers in Charleston-North Charleston

Affordability snapshot: Charleston-North Charleston