Ship Engineers Salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
The median pay for a ship engineers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $99,670/year ($47.92/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $141K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $98,722 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,787/month, or 28.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $100K 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 ship engineers
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $141K or more, a $79K spread from bottom to top.
Ship Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $171K | +68% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $136K | +34% | 90 |
| California | $135K | +33% | 430 |
| New York | $132K | +30% | 600 |
| Rhode Island | $124K | +22% | 40 |
| Texas | $122K | +21% | 870 |
| New Jersey | $117K | +16% | 170 |
| Illinois | $112K | +10% | 130 |
| Florida | $111K | +9% | 910 |
| Hawaii | $110K | +9% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $102K | +0% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $101K | -0% | 180 |
| Indiana | $100K | -1% | 180 |
| South Carolina | $100K | -2% | 60 |
| Washington | $96K | -5% | 910 |
| Louisiana | $95K | -7% | 800 |
| Mississippi | $92K | -9% | 100 |
| Oregon | $87K | -14% | 110 |
| Virginia | $82K | -19% | 1,370 |
| Alaska | $80K | -21% | 320 |
| Alabama | $79K | -22% | 100 |
| Michigan | $71K | -30% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -37% | 370 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -40% | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do ship engineers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $99,670 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,710, and experienced ship engineers can clear $140,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,146/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 29.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a ship engineers 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 ship engineers salary is worth about $98,722 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship engineers 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.