Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary
The median pay for a meeting, convention, and event planners in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $53,990/year ($25.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $53,477 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 50.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K 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 meeting, convention, and event planners
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 49.2% 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 meeting, convention, and event plannerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $52K | $56K |
| Columbia | $48K | $51K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $49K | $53K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $46K | $47K |
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 meeting, convention, and event planners (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $57K spread from bottom to top.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $77K | +26% | 2,360 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +24% | 4,640 |
| New York | $75K | +22% | 10,330 |
| Hawaii | $74K | +22% | 550 |
| Vermont | $74K | +22% | 430 |
| New Jersey | $73K | +19% | 2,160 |
| California | $71K | +16% | 20,650 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +14% | 1,450 |
| Washington | $66K | +7% | 3,600 |
| Maryland | $63K | +3% | 2,570 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +3% | 510 |
| Colorado | $62K | +1% | 4,650 |
| Arizona | $61K | +0% | 3,440 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -0% | 610 |
| Oregon | $61K | -0% | 2,020 |
| Virginia | $61K | -0% | 4,230 |
| Florida | $60K | -1% | 10,480 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | -2% | 890 |
| Illinois | $60K | -2% | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -5% | 3,940 |
| Maine | $58K | -5% | 490 |
| Minnesota | $58K | -6% | 3,160 |
| Nevada | $58K | -6% | 2,060 |
| Texas | $57K | -6% | 10,730 |
| Missouri | $57K | -7% | 2,500 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -9% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -10% | 4,340 |
| Alaska | $55K | -10% | 150 |
| Kansas | $55K | -10% | 920 |
| Utah | $54K | -11% | 1,970 |
| Wisconsin | $54K | -12% | 2,690 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -13% | 550 |
| Michigan | $53K | -14% | 3,560 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -14% | 610 |
| Alabama | $52K | -15% | 980 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -15% | 3,260 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -15% | 1,240 |
| Iowa | $52K | -15% | 1,120 |
| North Dakota | $52K | -15% | 300 |
| New Mexico | $51K | -17% | 350 |
| Indiana | $50K | -18% | 2,140 |
| Ohio | $50K | -18% | 4,750 |
| Kentucky | $49K | -19% | 1,110 |
| Georgia | $49K | -19% | 5,050 |
| Delaware | $49K | -20% | 400 |
| Montana | $49K | -20% | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -20% | 1,440 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -23% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -27% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -42% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track meeting, convention, and event planners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a meeting, convention, and event planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 49.2% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for meeting, convention, and event planners in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meeting, convention, and event planners typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,263/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is meeting, convention, and event planner a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $54K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for meeting, convention, and event planners?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $53,990 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,720, and experienced meeting, convention, and event planners can clear $95,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,633/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 49.2% 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 meeting, convention, and event planners 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 meeting, convention, and event planners salary is worth about $53,477 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do meeting, convention, and event planners 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.