Buyers and Purchasing Agents Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, buyers and purchasing agents earn $82,240 at the median, or about $39.54 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $81,458 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 34.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $82K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
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 buyers and purchasing agents
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Buyers and purchasing agents pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $78K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,787/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for buyers and purchasing agents in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $73K | $79K |
| Columbia | $72K | $77K |
| Spartanburg | $74K | $81K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $70K | $74K |
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 buyers and purchasing agents (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $86K spread from bottom to top.
Buyers and Purchasing Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $124K | +60% | 1,880 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +20% | 12,180 |
| Maryland | $91K | +17% | 8,900 |
| Virginia | $89K | +15% | 22,120 |
| Rhode Island | $86K | +11% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +11% | 12,820 |
| Washington | $85K | +10% | 15,400 |
| Colorado | $84K | +8% | 10,080 |
| Alaska | $83K | +7% | 890 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +7% | 5,530 |
| Delaware | $83K | +7% | 1,400 |
| California | $83K | +6% | 48,010 |
| Minnesota | $80K | +3% | 10,960 |
| New York | $79K | +2% | 31,240 |
| Illinois | $78K | +1% | 19,660 |
| Maine | $78K | -0% | 1,180 |
| New Hampshire | $77K | -1% | 2,580 |
| New Mexico | $77K | -1% | 2,250 |
| Ohio | $76K | -2% | 21,640 |
| North Dakota | $76K | -2% | 880 |
| Texas | $76K | -2% | 44,030 |
| Michigan | $76K | -2% | 16,680 |
| North Carolina | $76K | -2% | 14,290 |
| Arkansas | $76K | -2% | 4,510 |
| West Virginia | $76K | -3% | 1,130 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -3% | 6,150 |
| Arizona | $75K | -3% | 10,870 |
| Oregon | $75K | -3% | 7,090 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -4% | 2,850 |
| Utah | $75K | -4% | 4,090 |
| Georgia | $75K | -4% | 15,710 |
| Hawaii | $74K | -4% | 1,720 |
| Alabama | $74K | -5% | 8,960 |
| South Dakota | $74K | -5% | 1,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $74K | -5% | 17,430 |
| Nevada | $73K | -6% | 2,310 |
| Florida | $73K | -6% | 30,270 |
| Wyoming | $72K | -7% | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $72K | -8% | 4,750 |
| Mississippi | $72K | -8% | 2,240 |
| Wisconsin | $71K | -9% | 9,240 |
| Iowa | $70K | -9% | 4,570 |
| Kansas | $70K | -11% | 6,470 |
| Indiana | $69K | -11% | 10,720 |
| Idaho | $69K | -11% | 1,610 |
| Louisiana | $66K | -15% | 3,440 |
| Missouri | $66K | -16% | 8,070 |
| Tennessee | $65K | -16% | 11,420 |
| Vermont | $65K | -16% | 1,010 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -16% | 5,440 |
| Montana | $63K | -19% | 1,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a buyers and purchasing agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 34.3% 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 $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for buyers and purchasing agents in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new buyers and purchasing agents typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,966/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is buyers and purchasing agent a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $78K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for buyers and purchasing agents?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do buyers and purchasing agents make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $82,240 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,440, and experienced buyers and purchasing agents can clear $135,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,217/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 34.3% 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 buyers and purchasing agents 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 buyers and purchasing agents salary is worth about $81,458 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do buyers and purchasing agents 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.