Insulation Workers, Mechanical Salary
Insulation Workers, Mechanicals in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $48,540 a year, or about $23.34 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $48,078 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 54% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K 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 insulation workers, mechanicals
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for insulation workers, mechanical in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 54.2% 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 insulation workers, mechanicals.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insulation workers, mechanicals in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $51K | $55K |
| Columbia | $47K | $50K |
| Florence | $49K | $57K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $50K | $51K |
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 insulation workers, mechanicals (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Insulation Workers, Mechanical pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Insulation Workers, Mechanical salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $120K | +105% | 1,310 |
| Oregon | $119K | +105% | 170 |
| Nevada | $114K | +96% | 250 |
| New Jersey | $108K | +84% | 330 |
| Minnesota | $106K | +81% | 250 |
| Illinois | $100K | +72% | 1,100 |
| Washington | $92K | +58% | 500 |
| Hawaii | $88K | +50% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $85K | +46% | 600 |
| Alaska | $84K | +45% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | +38% | 590 |
| Arizona | $80K | +38% | N/A |
| Missouri | $79K | +35% | 830 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +32% | 60 |
| Nebraska | $76K | +30% | 130 |
| West Virginia | $74K | +27% | 90 |
| Indiana | $72K | +24% | 1,320 |
| Maryland | $70K | +20% | 450 |
| Ohio | $68K | +16% | 990 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | +11% | 560 |
| Maine | $64K | +9% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | +6% | 250 |
| New York | $59K | +1% | 1,490 |
| Michigan | $59K | +1% | 650 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -0% | 400 |
| Virginia | $57K | -2% | 1,350 |
| Utah | $56K | -4% | 380 |
| Iowa | $54K | -7% | 140 |
| New Mexico | $53K | -9% | N/A |
| Georgia | $53K | -10% | 660 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -12% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -14% | 630 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -14% | 120 |
| Florida | $50K | -15% | 480 |
| Kansas | $49K | -16% | 130 |
| Colorado | $49K | -16% | 520 |
| Alabama | $49K | -16% | N/A |
| Texas | $49K | -16% | 4,190 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -17% | 1,090 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -17% | 620 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -17% | 540 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -21% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -21% | N/A |
| Delaware | $45K | -23% | 340 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track insulation workers, mechanical 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 insulation workers, mechanical afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 54.2% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for insulation workers, mechanicals in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insulation workers, mechanicals typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,821/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is insulation workers, mechanical a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $49K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for insulation workers, mechanicals?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do insulation workers, mechanicals make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $48,540 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,020, and experienced insulation workers, mechanicals can clear $80,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,297/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 54.2% 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 insulation workers, mechanical 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 insulation workers, mechanical salary is worth about $48,078 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do insulation workers, mechanicals 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.