Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025

Charleston County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2025, at $1,388. McCormick County had the lowest, at $837. The median was $1,046 and the figure for South Carolina was $1,226. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,388Charleston County
Median1,04646 counties
South Carolina1,226History

Map of counties, 2025

Abbeville County: 997 USDAiken County: 1,268 USDAllendale County: 1,101 USDAnderson County: 1,043 USDBamberg County: 930 USDBarnwell County: 883 USDBeaufort County: 1,101 USDBerkeley County: 1,350 USDCalhoun County: 1,232 USDCharleston County: 1,388 USDCherokee County: 969 USDChester County: 1,178 USDChesterfield County: 986 USDClarendon County: 841 USDColleton County: 944 USDDarlington County: 1,163 USDDillon County: 850 USDDorchester County: 1,070 USDEdgefield County: 1,043 USDFairfield County: 1,155 USDFlorence County: 1,074 USDGeorgetown County: 1,017 USDGreenville County: 1,269 USDGreenwood County: 1,058 USDHampton County: 1,025 USDHorry County: 962 USDJasper County: 1,062 USDKershaw County: 976 USDLancaster County: 1,290 USDLaurens County: 1,052 USDLee County: 951 USDLexington County: 1,119 USDMcCormick County: 837 USDMarion County: 920 USDMarlboro County: 1,041 USDNewberry County: 972 USDOconee County: 1,157 USDOrangeburg County: 940 USDPickens County: 1,073 USDRichland County: 1,252 USDSaluda County: 962 USDSpartanburg County: 1,195 USDSumter County: 1,048 USDUnion County: 978 USDWilliamsburg County: 970 USDYork County: 1,212 USD
  • Under 950
  • 950 to 980
  • 980 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,100
  • 1,100 to 1,200
  • 1,200 and over
USD, 2025. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2025

Charleston County: 1,388 USDCharleston County1,388Berkeley County: 1,350 USDBerkeley County1,350Lancaster County: 1,290 USDLancaster County1,290Greenville County: 1,269 USDGreenville County1,269Aiken County: 1,268 USDAiken County1,268Richland County: 1,252 USDRichland County1,252Calhoun County: 1,232 USDCalhoun County1,232York County: 1,212 USDYork County1,212Spartanburg County: 1,195 USDSpartanburg County1,195Chester County: 1,178 USDChester County1,178Darlington County: 1,163 USDDarlington County1,163Oconee County: 1,157 USDOconee County1,157Fairfield County: 1,155 USDFairfield County1,155Lexington County: 1,119 USDLexington County1,119Allendale County: 1,101 USDAllendale County1,101Beaufort County: 1,101 USDBeaufort County1,101Florence County: 1,074 USDFlorence County1,074Pickens County: 1,073 USDPickens County1,073Dorchester County: 1,070 USDDorchester County1,070Jasper County: 1,062 USDJasper County1,062Greenwood County: 1,058 USDGreenwood County1,058Laurens County: 1,052 USDLaurens County1,052Sumter County: 1,048 USDSumter County1,048Anderson County: 1,043 USDAnderson County1,043Edgefield County: 1,043 USDEdgefield County1,043Marlboro County: 1,041 USDMarlboro County1,041Hampton County: 1,025 USDHampton County1,025Georgetown County: 1,017 USDGeorgetown County1,017Abbeville County: 997 USDAbbeville County997Chesterfield County: 986 USDChesterfield County986Union County: 978 USDUnion County978Kershaw County: 976 USDKershaw County976Newberry County: 972 USDNewberry County972Williamsburg County: 970 USDWilliamsburg County970Cherokee County: 969 USDCherokee County969Horry County: 962 USDHorry County962Saluda County: 962 USDSaluda County962Lee County: 951 USDLee County951Colleton County: 944 USDColleton County944Orangeburg County: 940 USDOrangeburg County940Bamberg County: 930 USDBamberg County930Marion County: 920 USDMarion County920Barnwell County: 883 USDBarnwell County883Dillon County: 850 USDDillon County850Clarendon County: 841 USDClarendon County841McCormick County: 837 USDMcCormick County837Charleston County: 1,388 USDCharleston County1,388Berkeley County: 1,350 USDBerkeley County1,350Lancaster County: 1,290 USDLancaster County1,290Greenville County: 1,269 USDGreenville County1,269Aiken County: 1,268 USDAiken County1,268Richland County: 1,252 USDRichland County1,252Calhoun County: 1,232 USDCalhoun County1,232York County: 1,212 USDYork County1,212Spartanburg County: 1,195 USDSpartanburg County1,195Chester County: 1,178 USDChester County1,178Darlington County: 1,163 USDDarlington County1,163Oconee County: 1,157 USDOconee County1,157Fairfield County: 1,155 USDFairfield County1,155Lexington County: 1,119 USDLexington County1,119Allendale County: 1,101 USDAllendale County1,101Beaufort County: 1,101 USDBeaufort County1,101Florence County: 1,074 USDFlorence County1,074Pickens County: 1,073 USDPickens County1,073Dorchester County: 1,070 USDDorchester County1,070Jasper County: 1,062 USDJasper County1,062Greenwood County: 1,058 USDGreenwood County1,058Laurens County: 1,052 USDLaurens County1,052Sumter County: 1,048 USDSumter County1,048Anderson County: 1,043 USDAnderson County1,043Edgefield County: 1,043 USDEdgefield County1,043Marlboro County: 1,041 USDMarlboro County1,041Hampton County: 1,025 USDHampton County1,025Georgetown County: 1,017 USDGeorgetown County1,017Abbeville County: 997 USDAbbeville County997Chesterfield County: 986 USDChesterfield County986Union County: 978 USDUnion County978Kershaw County: 976 USDKershaw County976Newberry County: 972 USDNewberry County972Williamsburg County: 970 USDWilliamsburg County970Cherokee County: 969 USDCherokee County969Horry County: 962 USDHorry County962Saluda County: 962 USDSaluda County962Lee County: 951 USDLee County951Colleton County: 944 USDColleton County944Orangeburg County: 940 USDOrangeburg County940Bamberg County: 930 USDBamberg County930Marion County: 920 USDMarion County920Barnwell County: 883 USDBarnwell County883Dillon County: 850 USDDillon County850Clarendon County: 841 USDClarendon County841McCormick County: 837 USDMcCormick County837
USD. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2025
USD
Change on 2024
1Charleston County1,388+5.7%
2Berkeley County1,350+2.9%
3Lancaster County1,290+3.9%
4Greenville County1,269+4.4%
5Aiken County1,268+4.1%
6Richland County1,252+3.7%
7Calhoun County1,232+5.3%
8York County1,212+3.2%
9Spartanburg County1,195+4.4%
10Chester County1,178+4.8%
11Darlington County1,163+4.4%
12Oconee County1,157+3.8%
13Fairfield County1,155-3.1%
14Lexington County1,119+3.9%
15Allendale County1,101+5.9%
15Beaufort County1,101+4.6%
17Florence County1,074+5.6%
18Pickens County1,073+3.7%
19Dorchester County1,070+3.9%
20Jasper County1,062+2.5%
21Greenwood County1,058+3.2%
22Laurens County1,052+6%
23Sumter County1,048+2.3%
24Anderson County1,043+4.8%
24Edgefield County1,043+3%
26Marlboro County1,041+0.5%
27Hampton County1,025+5%
28Georgetown County1,017+5.1%
29Abbeville County997+5.1%
30Chesterfield County986+4.2%
31Union County978+4.8%
32Kershaw County976+3.4%
33Newberry County972+3.1%
34Williamsburg County970+1.8%
35Cherokee County969+4.4%
36Horry County962+4.1%
36Saluda County962+6.9%
38Lee County951-0.3%
39Colleton County944+1.9%
40Orangeburg County940-10%
41Bamberg County930+2.9%
42Marion County920+2.4%
43Barnwell County883+5.9%
44Dillon County850+5.3%
45Clarendon County841+6.2%
46McCormick County837+2.6%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

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APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2025,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Charleston County, with $1,388 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

McCormick County, with $837 in 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Average weekly wage (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings