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Cartographers and Photogrammetrists Salary

in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $64,290 a year, or about $30.91 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $63,679 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.

$64K
Median annual
$30.91/hr
Hourly rate
$52K
Entry level (10th %)
$95K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $64K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?

Estimated take-home pay$4,261/mo
Rent (2BR median)-$1,787/mo
Rent as % of take-home41.9% ⚠ above 30% guideline
Groceries-$396/mo
Utilities-$198/mo
Transportation-$347/mo
Healthcare *-$230/mo
Left over$1,303/mo

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.

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About cartographers and photogrammetrists

Education: Bachelor's degree
U.S. employed: 14,260
Charleston-North Charleston, SC employed: 40
Category: Engineering

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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston

Pay for cartographers and photogrammetrists in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $81K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 41.9% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cartographers and photogrammetristss.

Compared to nearby metros

Median pay for cartographers and photogrammetrists in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.

MetroMedian payCOL-adjusted
Greenville-Anderson-Greer$73K$78K
Asheville$79K$82K
Durham-Chapel Hill$77K$79K
Raleigh-Cary$81K$83K

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

Bar chart showing Cartographers and Photogrammetrists salary percentiles in Charleston-North Charleston, SC: 10th percentile $52,360, 25th percentile $57,110, median $64,290, 75th percentile $92,340, 90th percentile $94,690. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$52K25th$57KMedian$64K75th$92K90th$95K
Bar chart showing Cartographers and Photogrammetrists salary percentiles in Charleston-North Charleston, SC: 10th percentile $52,360, 25th percentile $57,110, median $64,290, 75th percentile $92,340, 90th percentile $94,690. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level cartographers and photogrammetrists (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.

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Cartographers and Photogrammetrists pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

View Cartographers and Photogrammetrists salary in all states
StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
California$103K+26%1,450
Minnesota$100K+23%100
Washington$96K+18%870
Nevada$94K+15%180
Massachusetts$92K+13%160
New York$89K+10%230
Alaska$89K+10%60
New Jersey$88K+9%170
Oregon$88K+8%640
Colorado$87K+7%1,220
Virginia$87K+6%860
Oklahoma$86K+6%70
Iowa$85K+4%90
Maryland$84K+4%450
Connecticut$84K+3%150
Arizona$82K+1%400
Nebraska$82K+0%50
North Carolina$81K-0%900
Florida$80K-2%610
New Mexico$79K-3%70
Maine$79K-3%40
Missouri$77K-5%170
Wisconsin$77K-6%260
Utah$75K-8%150
Michigan$75K-8%250
Indiana$75K-8%40
Texas$74K-9%1,780
Pennsylvania$73K-10%140
Tennessee$73K-10%150
Idaho$73K-10%100
South Dakota$73K-10%140
South Carolina$72K-11%150
Montana$72K-11%160
New Hampshire$72K-11%70
Kentucky$71K-12%90
North Dakota$71K-13%80
Ohio$71K-13%490
Wyoming$71K-13%100
Georgia$63K-23%490
Louisiana$60K-26%N/A
Illinois$55K-33%180
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Showing 1–10 of 41 states

BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small

Track cartographers and photogrammetrists salary changes

BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a cartographers and photogrammetrist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 41.9% 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 $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for cartographers and photogrammetrists in Charleston-North Charleston?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new cartographers and photogrammetrists typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,142/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is cartographers and photogrammetrist a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?

Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $64K here vs. $81K nationally.

How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for cartographers and photogrammetrists?

Charleston-North Charleston pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.

How much do cartographers and photogrammetrists make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The median is $64,290 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,360, and experienced cartographers and photogrammetrists can clear $94,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $64K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,261/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 41.9% 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 cartographers and photogrammetrists 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 cartographers and photogrammetrists salary is worth about $63,679 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do cartographers and photogrammetrists 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.

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