Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Berkeley County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2018, at $996. Clarendon County had the lowest, at $569. The median was $752 and the figure for South Carolina was $860. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest996Berkeley County
Median75246 counties
South Carolina860History

Map of counties, 2018

Abbeville County: 731 USDAiken County: 955 USDAllendale County: 810 USDAnderson County: 776 USDBamberg County: 645 USDBarnwell County: 712 USDBeaufort County: 746 USDBerkeley County: 996 USDCalhoun County: 832 USDCharleston County: 956 USDCherokee County: 672 USDChester County: 828 USDChesterfield County: 736 USDClarendon County: 569 USDColleton County: 657 USDDarlington County: 904 USDDillon County: 627 USDDorchester County: 730 USDEdgefield County: 746 USDFairfield County: 953 USDFlorence County: 754 USDGeorgetown County: 757 USDGreenville County: 924 USDGreenwood County: 775 USDHampton County: 783 USDHorry County: 644 USDJasper County: 702 USDKershaw County: 725 USDLancaster County: 932 USDLaurens County: 777 USDLee County: 699 USDLexington County: 805 USDMcCormick County: 681 USDMarion County: 613 USDMarlboro County: 839 USDNewberry County: 720 USDOconee County: 908 USDOrangeburg County: 750 USDPickens County: 769 USDRichland County: 910 USDSaluda County: 615 USDSpartanburg County: 890 USDSumter County: 739 USDUnion County: 740 USDWilliamsburg County: 739 USDYork County: 880 USD
  • Under 680
  • 680 to 730
  • 730 to 750
  • 750 to 810
  • 810 to 910
  • 910 and over
USD, 2018. 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, 2018

Berkeley County: 996 USDBerkeley County996Charleston County: 956 USDCharleston County956Aiken County: 955 USDAiken County955Fairfield County: 953 USDFairfield County953Lancaster County: 932 USDLancaster County932Greenville County: 924 USDGreenville County924Richland County: 910 USDRichland County910Oconee County: 908 USDOconee County908Darlington County: 904 USDDarlington County904Spartanburg County: 890 USDSpartanburg County890York County: 880 USDYork County880Marlboro County: 839 USDMarlboro County839Calhoun County: 832 USDCalhoun County832Chester County: 828 USDChester County828Allendale County: 810 USDAllendale County810Lexington County: 805 USDLexington County805Hampton County: 783 USDHampton County783Laurens County: 777 USDLaurens County777Anderson County: 776 USDAnderson County776Greenwood County: 775 USDGreenwood County775Pickens County: 769 USDPickens County769Georgetown County: 757 USDGeorgetown County757Florence County: 754 USDFlorence County754Orangeburg County: 750 USDOrangeburg County750Beaufort County: 746 USDBeaufort County746Edgefield County: 746 USDEdgefield County746Union County: 740 USDUnion County740Sumter County: 739 USDSumter County739Williamsburg County: 739 USDWilliamsburg County739Chesterfield County: 736 USDChesterfield County736Abbeville County: 731 USDAbbeville County731Dorchester County: 730 USDDorchester County730Kershaw County: 725 USDKershaw County725Newberry County: 720 USDNewberry County720Barnwell County: 712 USDBarnwell County712Jasper County: 702 USDJasper County702Lee County: 699 USDLee County699McCormick County: 681 USDMcCormick County681Cherokee County: 672 USDCherokee County672Colleton County: 657 USDColleton County657Bamberg County: 645 USDBamberg County645Horry County: 644 USDHorry County644Dillon County: 627 USDDillon County627Saluda County: 615 USDSaluda County615Marion County: 613 USDMarion County613Clarendon County: 569 USDClarendon County569Berkeley County: 996 USDBerkeley County996Charleston County: 956 USDCharleston County956Aiken County: 955 USDAiken County955Fairfield County: 953 USDFairfield County953Lancaster County: 932 USDLancaster County932Greenville County: 924 USDGreenville County924Richland County: 910 USDRichland County910Oconee County: 908 USDOconee County908Darlington County: 904 USDDarlington County904Spartanburg County: 890 USDSpartanburg County890York County: 880 USDYork County880Marlboro County: 839 USDMarlboro County839Calhoun County: 832 USDCalhoun County832Chester County: 828 USDChester County828Allendale County: 810 USDAllendale County810Lexington County: 805 USDLexington County805Hampton County: 783 USDHampton County783Laurens County: 777 USDLaurens County777Anderson County: 776 USDAnderson County776Greenwood County: 775 USDGreenwood County775Pickens County: 769 USDPickens County769Georgetown County: 757 USDGeorgetown County757Florence County: 754 USDFlorence County754Orangeburg County: 750 USDOrangeburg County750Beaufort County: 746 USDBeaufort County746Edgefield County: 746 USDEdgefield County746Union County: 740 USDUnion County740Sumter County: 739 USDSumter County739Williamsburg County: 739 USDWilliamsburg County739Chesterfield County: 736 USDChesterfield County736Abbeville County: 731 USDAbbeville County731Dorchester County: 730 USDDorchester County730Kershaw County: 725 USDKershaw County725Newberry County: 720 USDNewberry County720Barnwell County: 712 USDBarnwell County712Jasper County: 702 USDJasper County702Lee County: 699 USDLee County699McCormick County: 681 USDMcCormick County681Cherokee County: 672 USDCherokee County672Colleton County: 657 USDColleton County657Bamberg County: 645 USDBamberg County645Horry County: 644 USDHorry County644Dillon County: 627 USDDillon County627Saluda County: 615 USDSaluda County615Marion County: 613 USDMarion County613Clarendon County: 569 USDClarendon County569
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

RankCounties2018
USD
Change on 2017
1Berkeley County996+3.1%
2Charleston County956+2.2%
3Aiken County955+1.4%
4Fairfield County953-24.4%
5Lancaster County932+4.3%
6Greenville County924+1.4%
7Richland County910+1.4%
8Oconee County908+1%
9Darlington County904+2.6%
10Spartanburg County890+0.7%
11York County880+3%
12Marlboro County839+1.9%
13Calhoun County832+0.2%
14Chester County828+1.6%
15Allendale County810+0.9%
16Lexington County805+1.3%
17Hampton County783+4.3%
18Laurens County7770%
19Anderson County776+2%
20Greenwood County775-1.5%
21Pickens County769+0.1%
22Georgetown County757+0.5%
23Florence County754-0.3%
24Orangeburg County750+1.4%
25Beaufort County7460%
25Edgefield County746+2.9%
27Union County740+9.8%
28Sumter County739+1.9%
28Williamsburg County739+3.9%
30Chesterfield County736+1.5%
31Abbeville County731+3.4%
32Dorchester County730+3.1%
33Kershaw County725-1.8%
34Newberry County720+3.2%
35Barnwell County712+6.1%
36Jasper County702-2.5%
37Lee County699-1.1%
38McCormick County681+0.7%
39Cherokee County672-2.9%
40Colleton County657+3.8%
41Bamberg County645+1.7%
42Horry County644+0.8%
43Dillon County6270%
44Saluda County615-0.2%
45Marion County613-3.2%
46Clarendon County569-0.4%

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/2018/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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/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), 2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Berkeley County, with $996 in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Clarendon County, with $569 in 2018.

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