Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $59,280/year ($28.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $58,716 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 45.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K 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 machinists
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Machinists pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 45.1% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for machinists in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $58K | $62K |
| Spartanburg | $60K | $66K |
| Columbia | $60K | $64K |
| Florence | $57K | $66K |
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 machinists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Machinists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Machinists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $84K | +44% | 260 |
| Alaska | $78K | +32% | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $73K | +24% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +15% | 7,080 |
| Washington | $66K | +13% | 6,880 |
| Oregon | $64K | +9% | 2,760 |
| New Jersey | $63K | +8% | 3,210 |
| Wyoming | $63K | +7% | 290 |
| Vermont | $63K | +7% | 220 |
| Delaware | $63K | +7% | 310 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +6% | 5,240 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +5% | 560 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +5% | 1,620 |
| Virginia | $61K | +4% | 5,660 |
| Utah | $61K | +4% | 3,810 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +4% | 12,500 |
| Louisiana | $61K | +4% | 4,640 |
| Arizona | $61K | +4% | 4,330 |
| New York | $61K | +4% | 9,400 |
| Montana | $61K | +4% | 630 |
| Colorado | $60K | +2% | 2,800 |
| Maryland | $60K | +2% | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $59K | +1% | 690 |
| Texas | $59K | +1% | 21,700 |
| Maine | $59K | +1% | 1,780 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +1% | 12,700 |
| Idaho | $59K | +0% | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $59K | -0% | 8,380 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -0% | 6,040 |
| Illinois | $59K | -0% | 16,520 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -1% | 3,790 |
| Ohio | $58K | -1% | 17,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -2% | 12,380 |
| Indiana | $58K | -2% | 14,320 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | -2% | 860 |
| Iowa | $58K | -2% | 2,880 |
| California | $57K | -3% | 18,950 |
| Florida | $57K | -3% | 8,400 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -5% | 1,810 |
| Alabama | $56K | -5% | 5,170 |
| Mississippi | $56K | -5% | 1,920 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -6% | 8,330 |
| Nevada | $53K | -10% | 900 |
| Georgia | $53K | -10% | 6,090 |
| Michigan | $52K | -11% | 20,350 |
| Kansas | $51K | -13% | 3,870 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -13% | 2,150 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -13% | 4,230 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -13% | 830 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -16% | 8,270 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -19% | 1,700 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track machinists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 45.1% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for machinists in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,816/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 machinist a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for machinists?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do machinists make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $59,280 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,930, and experienced machinists can clear $75,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,959/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 45.1% 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 machinists 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 machinists salary is worth about $58,716 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do machinists 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.