Financial Examiners Salary
Financial Examiners in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $158,960 a year, or about $76.43 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $227K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $157,448 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,787/month, or 18.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $159K 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 financial examiners
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Charleston-North Charleston sits well above the national pay line for financial examiners, local pay runs about 69% higher than the U.S. median of $94K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,787/month, 19.3% 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. Combined with manageable housing costs, Charleston-North Charleston offers a genuinely strong financial position for financial examinerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for financial examiners in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $78K | $84K |
| Columbia | $90K | $96K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $105K | $108K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $78K | $78K |
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 financial examiners (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $159K. Top earners bring in $227K or more, a $166K spread from bottom to top.
Financial Examiners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Financial Examiners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $199K | +111% | 470 |
| New York | $129K | +37% | 13,480 |
| Connecticut | $121K | +28% | N/A |
| Washington | $114K | +21% | 420 |
| Massachusetts | $111K | +18% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $106K | +13% | 2,190 |
| California | $106K | +13% | 4,200 |
| Minnesota | $104K | +11% | 1,280 |
| Virginia | $104K | +11% | 1,280 |
| Maryland | $103K | +9% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $101K | +7% | 2,610 |
| Colorado | $100K | +6% | 1,910 |
| Oregon | $95K | +0% | 820 |
| Rhode Island | $94K | -0% | 320 |
| Illinois | $93K | -1% | 4,050 |
| Delaware | $92K | -2% | 430 |
| Utah | $92K | -2% | 960 |
| Alaska | $91K | -4% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $89K | -6% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $87K | -7% | 500 |
| South Carolina | $86K | -8% | 480 |
| Wisconsin | $86K | -8% | 580 |
| Mississippi | $85K | -9% | 420 |
| Idaho | $85K | -9% | 210 |
| Nevada | $85K | -10% | 180 |
| Louisiana | $84K | -10% | 240 |
| North Dakota | $83K | -12% | 220 |
| Indiana | $81K | -14% | 420 |
| Montana | $81K | -14% | 140 |
| Maine | $81K | -14% | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | -14% | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | -14% | 400 |
| Kansas | $80K | -15% | 470 |
| Iowa | $80K | -15% | 1,020 |
| Arizona | $80K | -15% | 1,910 |
| Missouri | $80K | -15% | 2,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $79K | -17% | 2,590 |
| Texas | $78K | -17% | 5,230 |
| Georgia | $78K | -17% | 1,450 |
| Kentucky | $76K | -19% | 640 |
| Florida | $76K | -19% | 4,190 |
| Vermont | $75K | -21% | 170 |
| Nebraska | $74K | -21% | 840 |
| Michigan | $71K | -25% | 710 |
| Ohio | $69K | -27% | 3,680 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -28% | 220 |
| Hawaii | $63K | -33% | 270 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -36% | 240 |
| Arkansas | $58K | -39% | 540 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track financial examiners 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 financial examiner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $159K, rent takes 19.3% 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 financial examiners in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new financial examiners typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,638/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is financial examiner a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay is 69% above the national median — $159K here vs. $94K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for financial examiners?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $159K median vs. the U.S. average of $94K — that’s +69%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $157K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do financial examiners make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $158,960 a year, that works out to about $76 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,630, and experienced financial examiners can clear $226,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $159K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,238/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 19.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a financial examiners 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 financial examiners salary is worth about $157,448 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do financial examiners 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.