Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Fairfield County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2016, at $1,274. Clarendon County had the lowest, at $579. The median was $729 and the figure for South Carolina was $825. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,274Fairfield County
Median72946 counties
South Carolina825History

Map of counties, 2016

Abbeville County: 680 USDAiken County: 922 USDAllendale County: 757 USDAnderson County: 728 USDBamberg County: 619 USDBarnwell County: 633 USDBeaufort County: 729 USDBerkeley County: 929 USDCalhoun County: 825 USDCharleston County: 906 USDCherokee County: 682 USDChester County: 770 USDChesterfield County: 699 USDClarendon County: 579 USDColleton County: 607 USDDarlington County: 854 USDDillon County: 608 USDDorchester County: 683 USDEdgefield County: 700 USDFairfield County: 1,274 USDFlorence County: 736 USDGeorgetown County: 722 USDGreenville County: 887 USDGreenwood County: 736 USDHampton County: 747 USDHorry County: 617 USDJasper County: 715 USDKershaw County: 732 USDLancaster County: 857 USDLaurens County: 748 USDLee County: 684 USDLexington County: 774 USDMcCormick County: 656 USDMarion County: 614 USDMarlboro County: 788 USDNewberry County: 674 USDOconee County: 897 USDOrangeburg County: 709 USDPickens County: 750 USDRichland County: 871 USDSaluda County: 606 USDSpartanburg County: 869 USDSumter County: 693 USDUnion County: 649 USDWilliamsburg County: 683 USDYork County: 817 USD
  • Under 640
  • 640 to 680
  • 680 to 730
  • 730 to 760
  • 760 to 860
  • 860 and over
USD, 2016. 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, 2016

Fairfield County: 1,274 USDFairfield County1,274Berkeley County: 929 USDBerkeley County929Aiken County: 922 USDAiken County922Charleston County: 906 USDCharleston County906Oconee County: 897 USDOconee County897Greenville County: 887 USDGreenville County887Richland County: 871 USDRichland County871Spartanburg County: 869 USDSpartanburg County869Lancaster County: 857 USDLancaster County857Darlington County: 854 USDDarlington County854Calhoun County: 825 USDCalhoun County825York County: 817 USDYork County817Marlboro County: 788 USDMarlboro County788Lexington County: 774 USDLexington County774Chester County: 770 USDChester County770Allendale County: 757 USDAllendale County757Pickens County: 750 USDPickens County750Laurens County: 748 USDLaurens County748Hampton County: 747 USDHampton County747Florence County: 736 USDFlorence County736Greenwood County: 736 USDGreenwood County736Kershaw County: 732 USDKershaw County732Beaufort County: 729 USDBeaufort County729Anderson County: 728 USDAnderson County728Georgetown County: 722 USDGeorgetown County722Jasper County: 715 USDJasper County715Orangeburg County: 709 USDOrangeburg County709Edgefield County: 700 USDEdgefield County700Chesterfield County: 699 USDChesterfield County699Sumter County: 693 USDSumter County693Lee County: 684 USDLee County684Dorchester County: 683 USDDorchester County683Williamsburg County: 683 USDWilliamsburg County683Cherokee County: 682 USDCherokee County682Abbeville County: 680 USDAbbeville County680Newberry County: 674 USDNewberry County674McCormick County: 656 USDMcCormick County656Union County: 649 USDUnion County649Barnwell County: 633 USDBarnwell County633Bamberg County: 619 USDBamberg County619Horry County: 617 USDHorry County617Marion County: 614 USDMarion County614Dillon County: 608 USDDillon County608Colleton County: 607 USDColleton County607Saluda County: 606 USDSaluda County606Clarendon County: 579 USDClarendon County579Fairfield County: 1,274 USDFairfield County1,274Berkeley County: 929 USDBerkeley County929Aiken County: 922 USDAiken County922Charleston County: 906 USDCharleston County906Oconee County: 897 USDOconee County897Greenville County: 887 USDGreenville County887Richland County: 871 USDRichland County871Spartanburg County: 869 USDSpartanburg County869Lancaster County: 857 USDLancaster County857Darlington County: 854 USDDarlington County854Calhoun County: 825 USDCalhoun County825York County: 817 USDYork County817Marlboro County: 788 USDMarlboro County788Lexington County: 774 USDLexington County774Chester County: 770 USDChester County770Allendale County: 757 USDAllendale County757Pickens County: 750 USDPickens County750Laurens County: 748 USDLaurens County748Hampton County: 747 USDHampton County747Florence County: 736 USDFlorence County736Greenwood County: 736 USDGreenwood County736Kershaw County: 732 USDKershaw County732Beaufort County: 729 USDBeaufort County729Anderson County: 728 USDAnderson County728Georgetown County: 722 USDGeorgetown County722Jasper County: 715 USDJasper County715Orangeburg County: 709 USDOrangeburg County709Edgefield County: 700 USDEdgefield County700Chesterfield County: 699 USDChesterfield County699Sumter County: 693 USDSumter County693Lee County: 684 USDLee County684Dorchester County: 683 USDDorchester County683Williamsburg County: 683 USDWilliamsburg County683Cherokee County: 682 USDCherokee County682Abbeville County: 680 USDAbbeville County680Newberry County: 674 USDNewberry County674McCormick County: 656 USDMcCormick County656Union County: 649 USDUnion County649Barnwell County: 633 USDBarnwell County633Bamberg County: 619 USDBamberg County619Horry County: 617 USDHorry County617Marion County: 614 USDMarion County614Dillon County: 608 USDDillon County608Colleton County: 607 USDColleton County607Saluda County: 606 USDSaluda County606Clarendon County: 579 USDClarendon County579
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

RankCounties2016
USD
Change on 2015
1Fairfield County1,274+6.5%
2Berkeley County929+2.2%
3Aiken County922+1.2%
4Charleston County906+3.1%
5Oconee County897+0.6%
6Greenville County887+1.6%
7Richland County871+1.4%
8Spartanburg County869+2.2%
9Lancaster County857+3.1%
10Darlington County854-0.8%
11Calhoun County825+3.9%
12York County817+3.3%
13Marlboro County788+2.7%
14Lexington County774+2.5%
15Chester County770+0.1%
16Allendale County757+2%
17Pickens County750+3.7%
18Laurens County748+0.9%
19Hampton County747+0.1%
20Florence County736+0.7%
20Greenwood County736+2.4%
22Kershaw County732+0.7%
23Beaufort County729+4%
24Anderson County728+2.2%
25Georgetown County722+0.6%
26Jasper County715+0.6%
27Orangeburg County709+1.1%
28Edgefield County700+1.7%
29Chesterfield County699+1.6%
30Sumter County693+2.2%
31Lee County684+4.1%
32Dorchester County683+1.3%
32Williamsburg County683+0.3%
34Cherokee County682+0.9%
35Abbeville County680+3.5%
36Newberry County674-1.3%
37McCormick County656+5.5%
38Union County649+0.9%
39Barnwell County633+4.3%
40Bamberg County619+1.6%
41Horry County617+2.8%
42Marion County614+1.7%
43Dillon County608+3.8%
44Colleton County607+2.7%
45Saluda County606+4.1%
46Clarendon County579-1%

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/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

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), 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/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), 2016. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016. 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), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016.

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), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2016,
  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), 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016. 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/2016/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), 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2016/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2016.
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/2016/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Fairfield County, with $1,274 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Clarendon County, with $579 in 2016.

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