Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Fairfield County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2017, at $1,261. Clarendon County had the lowest, at $571. The median was $749 and the figure for South Carolina was $850. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,261Fairfield County
Median74946 counties
South Carolina850History

Map of counties, 2017

Abbeville County: 707 USDAiken County: 942 USDAllendale County: 803 USDAnderson County: 761 USDBamberg County: 634 USDBarnwell County: 671 USDBeaufort County: 746 USDBerkeley County: 966 USDCalhoun County: 830 USDCharleston County: 935 USDCherokee County: 692 USDChester County: 815 USDChesterfield County: 725 USDClarendon County: 571 USDColleton County: 633 USDDarlington County: 881 USDDillon County: 627 USDDorchester County: 708 USDEdgefield County: 725 USDFairfield County: 1,261 USDFlorence County: 756 USDGeorgetown County: 753 USDGreenville County: 911 USDGreenwood County: 787 USDHampton County: 751 USDHorry County: 639 USDJasper County: 720 USDKershaw County: 738 USDLancaster County: 894 USDLaurens County: 777 USDLee County: 707 USDLexington County: 795 USDMcCormick County: 676 USDMarion County: 633 USDMarlboro County: 823 USDNewberry County: 698 USDOconee County: 899 USDOrangeburg County: 740 USDPickens County: 768 USDRichland County: 897 USDSaluda County: 616 USDSpartanburg County: 884 USDSumter County: 725 USDUnion County: 674 USDWilliamsburg County: 711 USDYork County: 854 USD
  • Under 670
  • 670 to 710
  • 710 to 750
  • 750 to 800
  • 800 to 890
  • 890 and over
USD, 2017. 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, 2017

Fairfield County: 1,261 USDFairfield County1,261Berkeley County: 966 USDBerkeley County966Aiken County: 942 USDAiken County942Charleston County: 935 USDCharleston County935Greenville County: 911 USDGreenville County911Oconee County: 899 USDOconee County899Richland County: 897 USDRichland County897Lancaster County: 894 USDLancaster County894Spartanburg County: 884 USDSpartanburg County884Darlington County: 881 USDDarlington County881York County: 854 USDYork County854Calhoun County: 830 USDCalhoun County830Marlboro County: 823 USDMarlboro County823Chester County: 815 USDChester County815Allendale County: 803 USDAllendale County803Lexington County: 795 USDLexington County795Greenwood County: 787 USDGreenwood County787Laurens County: 777 USDLaurens County777Pickens County: 768 USDPickens County768Anderson County: 761 USDAnderson County761Florence County: 756 USDFlorence County756Georgetown County: 753 USDGeorgetown County753Hampton County: 751 USDHampton County751Beaufort County: 746 USDBeaufort County746Orangeburg County: 740 USDOrangeburg County740Kershaw County: 738 USDKershaw County738Chesterfield County: 725 USDChesterfield County725Edgefield County: 725 USDEdgefield County725Sumter County: 725 USDSumter County725Jasper County: 720 USDJasper County720Williamsburg County: 711 USDWilliamsburg County711Dorchester County: 708 USDDorchester County708Abbeville County: 707 USDAbbeville County707Lee County: 707 USDLee County707Newberry County: 698 USDNewberry County698Cherokee County: 692 USDCherokee County692McCormick County: 676 USDMcCormick County676Union County: 674 USDUnion County674Barnwell County: 671 USDBarnwell County671Horry County: 639 USDHorry County639Bamberg County: 634 USDBamberg County634Colleton County: 633 USDColleton County633Marion County: 633 USDMarion County633Dillon County: 627 USDDillon County627Saluda County: 616 USDSaluda County616Clarendon County: 571 USDClarendon County571Fairfield County: 1,261 USDFairfield County1,261Berkeley County: 966 USDBerkeley County966Aiken County: 942 USDAiken County942Charleston County: 935 USDCharleston County935Greenville County: 911 USDGreenville County911Oconee County: 899 USDOconee County899Richland County: 897 USDRichland County897Lancaster County: 894 USDLancaster County894Spartanburg County: 884 USDSpartanburg County884Darlington County: 881 USDDarlington County881York County: 854 USDYork County854Calhoun County: 830 USDCalhoun County830Marlboro County: 823 USDMarlboro County823Chester County: 815 USDChester County815Allendale County: 803 USDAllendale County803Lexington County: 795 USDLexington County795Greenwood County: 787 USDGreenwood County787Laurens County: 777 USDLaurens County777Pickens County: 768 USDPickens County768Anderson County: 761 USDAnderson County761Florence County: 756 USDFlorence County756Georgetown County: 753 USDGeorgetown County753Hampton County: 751 USDHampton County751Beaufort County: 746 USDBeaufort County746Orangeburg County: 740 USDOrangeburg County740Kershaw County: 738 USDKershaw County738Chesterfield County: 725 USDChesterfield County725Edgefield County: 725 USDEdgefield County725Sumter County: 725 USDSumter County725Jasper County: 720 USDJasper County720Williamsburg County: 711 USDWilliamsburg County711Dorchester County: 708 USDDorchester County708Abbeville County: 707 USDAbbeville County707Lee County: 707 USDLee County707Newberry County: 698 USDNewberry County698Cherokee County: 692 USDCherokee County692McCormick County: 676 USDMcCormick County676Union County: 674 USDUnion County674Barnwell County: 671 USDBarnwell County671Horry County: 639 USDHorry County639Bamberg County: 634 USDBamberg County634Colleton County: 633 USDColleton County633Marion County: 633 USDMarion County633Dillon County: 627 USDDillon County627Saluda County: 616 USDSaluda County616Clarendon County: 571 USDClarendon County571
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

RankCounties2017
USD
Change on 2016
1Fairfield County1,261-1%
2Berkeley County966+4%
3Aiken County942+2.2%
4Charleston County935+3.2%
5Greenville County911+2.7%
6Oconee County899+0.2%
7Richland County897+3%
8Lancaster County894+4.3%
9Spartanburg County884+1.7%
10Darlington County881+3.2%
11York County854+4.5%
12Calhoun County830+0.6%
13Marlboro County823+4.4%
14Chester County815+5.8%
15Allendale County803+6.1%
16Lexington County795+2.7%
17Greenwood County787+6.9%
18Laurens County777+3.9%
19Pickens County768+2.4%
20Anderson County761+4.5%
21Florence County756+2.7%
22Georgetown County753+4.3%
23Hampton County751+0.5%
24Beaufort County746+2.3%
25Orangeburg County740+4.4%
26Kershaw County738+0.8%
27Chesterfield County725+3.7%
27Edgefield County725+3.6%
27Sumter County725+4.6%
30Jasper County720+0.7%
31Williamsburg County711+4.1%
32Dorchester County708+3.7%
33Abbeville County707+4%
33Lee County707+3.4%
35Newberry County698+3.6%
36Cherokee County692+1.5%
37McCormick County676+3%
38Union County674+3.9%
39Barnwell County671+6%
40Horry County639+3.6%
41Bamberg County634+2.4%
42Colleton County633+4.3%
42Marion County633+3.1%
44Dillon County627+3.1%
45Saluda County616+1.7%
46Clarendon County571-1.4%

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/2017/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), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/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), 2017. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017. 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), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017.

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), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2017,
  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), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017. 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/2017/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), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2017/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2017.
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/2017/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Fairfield County, with $1,261 in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Clarendon County, with $571 in 2017.

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