Broadcast Technicians Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, broadcast technicians earn $57,190 at the median, or about $27.49 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $56,646 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 47.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $57K actually covers in Charleston-North Charleston, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About broadcast technicians
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Broadcast technicians pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for broadcast technicians in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $51K | $54K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $40K | $43K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $49K | $49K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $53K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level broadcast technicians (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Broadcast Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Broadcast Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108K | +82% | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | +36% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $80K | +35% | 950 |
| New York | $79K | +32% | 1,690 |
| Illinois | $74K | +25% | 690 |
| Colorado | $74K | +24% | 820 |
| Nevada | $73K | +23% | 280 |
| Arizona | $73K | +23% | 530 |
| California | $73K | +22% | 2,340 |
| Florida | $65K | +9% | 1,130 |
| Maryland | $64K | +7% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +5% | 410 |
| Washington | $62K | +4% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -1% | 700 |
| Virginia | $58K | -3% | 710 |
| Maine | $55K | -7% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -16% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | -17% | 110 |
| Texas | $49K | -17% | 1,380 |
| Hawaii | $49K | -17% | 70 |
| Ohio | $49K | -18% | 430 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -19% | 80 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Michigan | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -21% | 400 |
| Georgia | $47K | -21% | 440 |
| Alabama | $47K | -21% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | -21% | 560 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -21% | 210 |
| Iowa | $47K | -21% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $47K | -21% | 330 |
| Montana | $47K | -22% | 60 |
| Idaho | $45K | -25% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -25% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -25% | 120 |
| Oregon | $44K | -25% | 220 |
| Indiana | $44K | -25% | 760 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -27% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -30% | 220 |
| Missouri | $42K | -30% | 300 |
| Kansas | $42K | -30% | 90 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -32% | 230 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -34% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -46% | 40 |
| Utah | $31K | -47% | 300 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -53% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -54% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track broadcast technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a broadcast technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for broadcast technicians in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new broadcast technicians typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,721/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 104% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is broadcast technician a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for broadcast technicians?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do broadcast technicians make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $57,190 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,450, and experienced broadcast technicians can clear $98,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,830/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 46.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a broadcast technicians salary go in Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median broadcast technicians salary is worth about $56,646 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do broadcast technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.