Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $197,220 a year, or about $94.82 an hour. The range runs from $99K at the entry level to $398K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $195,345 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,787/month, or 15.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $197K 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 chief executives
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Chief executives pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $197K locally vs. $214K nationwide, a 8% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,787/month, 15.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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 chief executives in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $177K | $189K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $166K | $178K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $194K | $208K |
| Spartanburg | $198K | $217K |
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 chief executives (10th percentile) start around $99K. Mid-career wages sit at $197K. Top earners bring in $398K or more, a $299K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $197K, rent takes 15.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $99K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,959/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $197K locally vs. $214K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for chief executives?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $197K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $195K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $197,220 a year, that works out to about $95 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $99,320, and experienced chief executives can clear $398,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $197K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,322/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 15.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $195,345 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.