Financial Examiners Salary
Financial Examiners in Charleston, WV make a median of $65,060 a year, or about $31.28 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $73,332 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,036/month, or 24.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charleston
Pay for financial examiners in Charleston runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $94K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,036/month, 24% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Charleston can be a reasonable trade-off for financial examinerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for financial examiners in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $80K | $90K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $80K | $78K |
| Cleveland | $47K | $50K |
| Columbus | $81K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level financial examiners (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $68K 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 with published data
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 numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a financial examiner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 24% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for financial examiners in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new financial examiners typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,249/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $65K here vs. $94K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for financial examiners?
Charleston pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $94K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — below the national median.
How much do financial examiners make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $65,060 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,490, and experienced financial examiners can clear $105,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,309/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 24% 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?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median financial examiners salary is worth about $73,332 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.