Office Clerks, General Salary
Office Clerks, Generals in South Carolina make a median of $36,840 a year, or about $17.71 an hour. The range runs from $20K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.17), which stretches that salary to about $39,541 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,263/month, about 50.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in South Carolina?
About office clerks, generals
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What this looks like in South Carolina
Pay for office clerks, general in South Carolina runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,263/month, which is 49% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for office clerks, generals.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Carolina
Entry-level office clerks, generals (10th percentile) start around $20K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Office Clerks, General salary by metro in South Carolina
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $39K | +7% | 6,890 |
| Columbia | $38K | +4% | 7,260 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $38K | +4% | 1,510 |
| Spartanburg | $37K | +1% | 2,400 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $36K | -2% | 2,510 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $36K | -2% | 8,410 |
| Sumter | $35K | -4% | 620 |
| Florence | $34K | -8% | 1,840 |
Compare to other states
Track office clerks, general salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a office clerks, general afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 49% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,263/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for office clerks, generals in South Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new office clerks, generals typically earn — is $20K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,174/month. At HUD’s $1,263/month FMR, rent would take 108% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is office clerks, general a high-paying job in South Carolina?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $37K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Carolina compare to the national average for office clerks, generals?
South Carolina pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do office clerks, generals make in South Carolina?
The median is $36,840 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $19,570, and experienced office clerks, generals can clear $56,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in South Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,576/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,263/month, which eats 49% 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 office clerks, general salary go in South Carolina?
South Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 93.17 (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 office clerks, general salary is worth about $39,541 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do office clerks, generals 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.