Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Charleston County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2020, at $1,075. Clarendon County had the lowest, at $624. The median was $829 and the figure for South Carolina was $953. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,075Charleston County
Median82946 counties
South Carolina953History

Map of counties, 2020

Abbeville County: 787 USDAiken County: 1,040 USDAllendale County: 874 USDAnderson County: 844 USDBamberg County: 719 USDBarnwell County: 707 USDBeaufort County: 855 USDBerkeley County: 1,067 USDCalhoun County: 921 USDCharleston County: 1,075 USDCherokee County: 747 USDChester County: 873 USDChesterfield County: 785 USDClarendon County: 624 USDColleton County: 729 USDDarlington County: 948 USDDillon County: 672 USDDorchester County: 811 USDEdgefield County: 802 USDFairfield County: 1,051 USDFlorence County: 829 USDGeorgetown County: 852 USDGreenville County: 1,009 USDGreenwood County: 861 USDHampton County: 863 USDHorry County: 731 USDJasper County: 815 USDKershaw County: 771 USDLancaster County: 1,005 USDLaurens County: 831 USDLee County: 746 USDLexington County: 902 USDMcCormick County: 671 USDMarion County: 680 USDMarlboro County: 820 USDNewberry County: 784 USDOconee County: 928 USDOrangeburg County: 819 USDPickens County: 869 USDRichland County: 1,003 USDSaluda County: 677 USDSpartanburg County: 954 USDSumter County: 812 USDUnion County: 797 USDWilliamsburg County: 829 USDYork County: 986 USD
  • Under 730
  • 730 to 800
  • 800 to 830
  • 830 to 870
  • 870 to 970
  • 970 and over
USD, 2020. 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, 2020

Charleston County: 1,075 USDCharleston County1,075Berkeley County: 1,067 USDBerkeley County1,067Fairfield County: 1,051 USDFairfield County1,051Aiken County: 1,040 USDAiken County1,040Greenville County: 1,009 USDGreenville County1,009Lancaster County: 1,005 USDLancaster County1,005Richland County: 1,003 USDRichland County1,003York County: 986 USDYork County986Spartanburg County: 954 USDSpartanburg County954Darlington County: 948 USDDarlington County948Oconee County: 928 USDOconee County928Calhoun County: 921 USDCalhoun County921Lexington County: 902 USDLexington County902Allendale County: 874 USDAllendale County874Chester County: 873 USDChester County873Pickens County: 869 USDPickens County869Hampton County: 863 USDHampton County863Greenwood County: 861 USDGreenwood County861Beaufort County: 855 USDBeaufort County855Georgetown County: 852 USDGeorgetown County852Anderson County: 844 USDAnderson County844Laurens County: 831 USDLaurens County831Florence County: 829 USDFlorence County829Williamsburg County: 829 USDWilliamsburg County829Marlboro County: 820 USDMarlboro County820Orangeburg County: 819 USDOrangeburg County819Jasper County: 815 USDJasper County815Sumter County: 812 USDSumter County812Dorchester County: 811 USDDorchester County811Edgefield County: 802 USDEdgefield County802Union County: 797 USDUnion County797Abbeville County: 787 USDAbbeville County787Chesterfield County: 785 USDChesterfield County785Newberry County: 784 USDNewberry County784Kershaw County: 771 USDKershaw County771Cherokee County: 747 USDCherokee County747Lee County: 746 USDLee County746Horry County: 731 USDHorry County731Colleton County: 729 USDColleton County729Bamberg County: 719 USDBamberg County719Barnwell County: 707 USDBarnwell County707Marion County: 680 USDMarion County680Saluda County: 677 USDSaluda County677Dillon County: 672 USDDillon County672McCormick County: 671 USDMcCormick County671Clarendon County: 624 USDClarendon County624Charleston County: 1,075 USDCharleston County1,075Berkeley County: 1,067 USDBerkeley County1,067Fairfield County: 1,051 USDFairfield County1,051Aiken County: 1,040 USDAiken County1,040Greenville County: 1,009 USDGreenville County1,009Lancaster County: 1,005 USDLancaster County1,005Richland County: 1,003 USDRichland County1,003York County: 986 USDYork County986Spartanburg County: 954 USDSpartanburg County954Darlington County: 948 USDDarlington County948Oconee County: 928 USDOconee County928Calhoun County: 921 USDCalhoun County921Lexington County: 902 USDLexington County902Allendale County: 874 USDAllendale County874Chester County: 873 USDChester County873Pickens County: 869 USDPickens County869Hampton County: 863 USDHampton County863Greenwood County: 861 USDGreenwood County861Beaufort County: 855 USDBeaufort County855Georgetown County: 852 USDGeorgetown County852Anderson County: 844 USDAnderson County844Laurens County: 831 USDLaurens County831Florence County: 829 USDFlorence County829Williamsburg County: 829 USDWilliamsburg County829Marlboro County: 820 USDMarlboro County820Orangeburg County: 819 USDOrangeburg County819Jasper County: 815 USDJasper County815Sumter County: 812 USDSumter County812Dorchester County: 811 USDDorchester County811Edgefield County: 802 USDEdgefield County802Union County: 797 USDUnion County797Abbeville County: 787 USDAbbeville County787Chesterfield County: 785 USDChesterfield County785Newberry County: 784 USDNewberry County784Kershaw County: 771 USDKershaw County771Cherokee County: 747 USDCherokee County747Lee County: 746 USDLee County746Horry County: 731 USDHorry County731Colleton County: 729 USDColleton County729Bamberg County: 719 USDBamberg County719Barnwell County: 707 USDBarnwell County707Marion County: 680 USDMarion County680Saluda County: 677 USDSaluda County677Dillon County: 672 USDDillon County672McCormick County: 671 USDMcCormick County671Clarendon County: 624 USDClarendon County624
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

RankCounties2020
USD
Change on 2019
1Charleston County1,075+7.5%
2Berkeley County1,067+4.4%
3Fairfield County1,051+8.4%
4Aiken County1,040+6.1%
5Greenville County1,009+6.5%
6Lancaster County1,005+5.5%
7Richland County1,003+6.6%
8York County986+7.5%
9Spartanburg County954+4.1%
10Darlington County948+2.9%
11Oconee County928+1.6%
12Calhoun County921+4.1%
13Lexington County902+6.4%
14Allendale County874+3.9%
15Chester County873+0.6%
16Pickens County869+7%
17Hampton County863+7.5%
18Greenwood County861+7.5%
19Beaufort County855+9.5%
20Georgetown County852+6.1%
21Anderson County844+6.3%
22Laurens County831+6.1%
23Florence County829+5.2%
23Williamsburg County829+7.9%
25Marlboro County820+1.2%
26Orangeburg County819+7.9%
27Jasper County815+9%
28Sumter County812+5.6%
29Dorchester County811+7%
30Edgefield County802+4.2%
31Union County797+4.9%
32Abbeville County787+3%
33Chesterfield County785+5.7%
34Newberry County784+4.5%
35Kershaw County771+6.5%
36Cherokee County747+7.6%
37Lee County746+3.9%
38Horry County731+9.3%
39Colleton County729+6.6%
40Bamberg County719+6.7%
41Barnwell County707+0.3%
42Marion County680+5.1%
43Saluda County677+0.3%
44Dillon County672+2.1%
45McCormick County671-2%
46Clarendon County624+7%

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/2020/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), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/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), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020. 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), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020.

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), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020. 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/2020/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), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2020.
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/2020/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)?

Charleston County, with $1,075 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Clarendon County, with $624 in 2020.

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