Loan Officers Salary
Loan Officers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $65,580 a year, or about $31.53 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $167K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $64,956 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K 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 loan officers
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for loan officers in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 41.3% 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 loan officerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for loan officers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $62K | $66K |
| Columbia | $65K | $69K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $65K | $70K |
| Spartanburg | $61K | $67K |
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 loan officers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $167K or more, a $129K spread from bottom to top.
Loan Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Loan Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $102K | +32% | 4,470 |
| Connecticut | $96K | +25% | 2,220 |
| New York | $96K | +25% | 10,840 |
| Minnesota | $95K | +24% | 6,430 |
| Colorado | $95K | +23% | 3,230 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 4,220 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +21% | 6,200 |
| District of Columbia | $93K | +21% | 370 |
| Vermont | $89K | +16% | 350 |
| Kansas | $87K | +13% | 3,540 |
| North Dakota | $85K | +10% | 1,370 |
| Iowa | $84K | +9% | 2,840 |
| Delaware | $83K | +8% | 1,420 |
| Maine | $82K | +7% | 1,060 |
| California | $82K | +7% | 25,790 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | +5% | 1,120 |
| Washington | $80K | +4% | 6,040 |
| South Dakota | $80K | +4% | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $80K | +4% | 2,710 |
| Wyoming | $80K | +4% | 740 |
| Illinois | $79K | +3% | 10,890 |
| Virginia | $78K | +2% | 8,790 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +2% | 4,940 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +1% | 1,290 |
| Ohio | $76K | -0% | 9,880 |
| North Carolina | $76K | -1% | 10,700 |
| Michigan | $74K | -3% | 11,340 |
| Missouri | $74K | -4% | 7,050 |
| Maryland | $74K | -4% | 3,850 |
| Oklahoma | $73K | -5% | 4,100 |
| Indiana | $73K | -5% | 4,790 |
| Alaska | $73K | -5% | 490 |
| Montana | $72K | -7% | 1,180 |
| Florida | $71K | -7% | 18,830 |
| Idaho | $71K | -7% | 2,030 |
| Arkansas | $70K | -8% | 2,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $69K | -10% | 8,140 |
| Georgia | $68K | -11% | 9,540 |
| Alabama | $67K | -13% | 5,050 |
| Texas | $66K | -13% | 21,200 |
| Nevada | $65K | -16% | 2,580 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -17% | 980 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -18% | 4,140 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -18% | 6,510 |
| New Mexico | $63K | -18% | 1,140 |
| Arizona | $62K | -19% | 10,020 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -19% | 3,940 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -20% | 2,810 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -21% | 3,450 |
| Utah | $59K | -22% | 3,990 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -25% | 1,290 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a loan officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 41.3% 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 loan officers in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new loan officers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,241/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is loan officer a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $66K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for loan officers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do loan officers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $65,580 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,350, and experienced loan officers can clear $166,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,329/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 41.3% 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 loan officers 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 loan officers salary is worth about $64,956 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do loan officers 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.