Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Berkeley County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2023, at $1,249. Dillon County had the lowest, at $760. The median was $964 and the figure for South Carolina was $1,114. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,249Berkeley County
Lowest760Dillon County
Median96446 counties
South Carolina1,114History

Map of counties, 2023

Abbeville County: 900 USDAiken County: 1,167 USDAllendale County: 1,046 USDAnderson County: 948 USDBamberg County: 834 USDBarnwell County: 808 USDBeaufort County: 987 USDBerkeley County: 1,249 USDCalhoun County: 1,138 USDCharleston County: 1,246 USDCherokee County: 863 USDChester County: 1,072 USDChesterfield County: 904 USDClarendon County: 781 USDColleton County: 887 USDDarlington County: 1,076 USDDillon County: 760 USDDorchester County: 982 USDEdgefield County: 960 USDFairfield County: 1,172 USDFlorence County: 964 USDGeorgetown County: 941 USDGreenville County: 1,162 USDGreenwood County: 977 USDHampton County: 925 USDHorry County: 881 USDJasper County: 1,001 USDKershaw County: 884 USDLancaster County: 1,166 USDLaurens County: 956 USDLee County: 901 USDLexington County: 1,026 USDMcCormick County: 761 USDMarion County: 842 USDMarlboro County: 997 USDNewberry County: 903 USDOconee County: 1,048 USDOrangeburg County: 891 USDPickens County: 988 USDRichland County: 1,164 USDSaluda County: 857 USDSpartanburg County: 1,089 USDSumter County: 980 USDUnion County: 899 USDWilliamsburg County: 963 USDYork County: 1,120 USD
  • Under 870
  • 870 to 900
  • 900 to 960
  • 960 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,100
  • 1,100 and over
USD, 2023. 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, 2023

Berkeley County: 1,249 USDBerkeley County1,249Charleston County: 1,246 USDCharleston County1,246Fairfield County: 1,172 USDFairfield County1,172Aiken County: 1,167 USDAiken County1,167Lancaster County: 1,166 USDLancaster County1,166Richland County: 1,164 USDRichland County1,164Greenville County: 1,162 USDGreenville County1,162Calhoun County: 1,138 USDCalhoun County1,138York County: 1,120 USDYork County1,120Spartanburg County: 1,089 USDSpartanburg County1,089Darlington County: 1,076 USDDarlington County1,076Chester County: 1,072 USDChester County1,072Oconee County: 1,048 USDOconee County1,048Allendale County: 1,046 USDAllendale County1,046Lexington County: 1,026 USDLexington County1,026Jasper County: 1,001 USDJasper County1,001Marlboro County: 997 USDMarlboro County997Pickens County: 988 USDPickens County988Beaufort County: 987 USDBeaufort County987Dorchester County: 982 USDDorchester County982Sumter County: 980 USDSumter County980Greenwood County: 977 USDGreenwood County977Florence County: 964 USDFlorence County964Williamsburg County: 963 USDWilliamsburg County963Edgefield County: 960 USDEdgefield County960Laurens County: 956 USDLaurens County956Anderson County: 948 USDAnderson County948Georgetown County: 941 USDGeorgetown County941Hampton County: 925 USDHampton County925Chesterfield County: 904 USDChesterfield County904Newberry County: 903 USDNewberry County903Lee County: 901 USDLee County901Abbeville County: 900 USDAbbeville County900Union County: 899 USDUnion County899Orangeburg County: 891 USDOrangeburg County891Colleton County: 887 USDColleton County887Kershaw County: 884 USDKershaw County884Horry County: 881 USDHorry County881Cherokee County: 863 USDCherokee County863Saluda County: 857 USDSaluda County857Marion County: 842 USDMarion County842Bamberg County: 834 USDBamberg County834Barnwell County: 808 USDBarnwell County808Clarendon County: 781 USDClarendon County781McCormick County: 761 USDMcCormick County761Dillon County: 760 USDDillon County760Berkeley County: 1,249 USDBerkeley County1,249Charleston County: 1,246 USDCharleston County1,246Fairfield County: 1,172 USDFairfield County1,172Aiken County: 1,167 USDAiken County1,167Lancaster County: 1,166 USDLancaster County1,166Richland County: 1,164 USDRichland County1,164Greenville County: 1,162 USDGreenville County1,162Calhoun County: 1,138 USDCalhoun County1,138York County: 1,120 USDYork County1,120Spartanburg County: 1,089 USDSpartanburg County1,089Darlington County: 1,076 USDDarlington County1,076Chester County: 1,072 USDChester County1,072Oconee County: 1,048 USDOconee County1,048Allendale County: 1,046 USDAllendale County1,046Lexington County: 1,026 USDLexington County1,026Jasper County: 1,001 USDJasper County1,001Marlboro County: 997 USDMarlboro County997Pickens County: 988 USDPickens County988Beaufort County: 987 USDBeaufort County987Dorchester County: 982 USDDorchester County982Sumter County: 980 USDSumter County980Greenwood County: 977 USDGreenwood County977Florence County: 964 USDFlorence County964Williamsburg County: 963 USDWilliamsburg County963Edgefield County: 960 USDEdgefield County960Laurens County: 956 USDLaurens County956Anderson County: 948 USDAnderson County948Georgetown County: 941 USDGeorgetown County941Hampton County: 925 USDHampton County925Chesterfield County: 904 USDChesterfield County904Newberry County: 903 USDNewberry County903Lee County: 901 USDLee County901Abbeville County: 900 USDAbbeville County900Union County: 899 USDUnion County899Orangeburg County: 891 USDOrangeburg County891Colleton County: 887 USDColleton County887Kershaw County: 884 USDKershaw County884Horry County: 881 USDHorry County881Cherokee County: 863 USDCherokee County863Saluda County: 857 USDSaluda County857Marion County: 842 USDMarion County842Bamberg County: 834 USDBamberg County834Barnwell County: 808 USDBarnwell County808Clarendon County: 781 USDClarendon County781McCormick County: 761 USDMcCormick County761Dillon County: 760 USDDillon County760
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

RankCounties2023
USD
Change on 2022
1Berkeley County1,249+6.9%
2Charleston County1,246+2.9%
3Fairfield County1,172+5%
4Aiken County1,167+5.4%
5Lancaster County1,166+2.5%
6Richland County1,164+5.3%
7Greenville County1,162+4%
8Calhoun County1,138+7.3%
9York County1,120+0.8%
10Spartanburg County1,089+3.6%
11Darlington County1,076+1.9%
12Chester County1,072+7.5%
13Oconee County1,048+2.1%
14Allendale County1,046-2.2%
15Lexington County1,026+4.3%
16Jasper County1,001+3.5%
17Marlboro County997+4.8%
18Pickens County988+5.1%
19Beaufort County987+2.4%
20Dorchester County982+5.5%
21Sumter County980+6.8%
22Greenwood County977+3.6%
23Florence County964+3.2%
24Williamsburg County963+3.2%
25Edgefield County960+3.7%
26Laurens County956+3.9%
27Anderson County948+2.6%
28Georgetown County941+3.5%
29Hampton County925+2.8%
30Chesterfield County904+4.3%
31Newberry County903+3.9%
32Lee County901+6%
33Abbeville County900+3.6%
34Union County899+3.8%
35Orangeburg County891+0.2%
36Colleton County887+5.5%
37Kershaw County884+4.5%
38Horry County881+5%
39Cherokee County863+6.9%
40Saluda County857+5.4%
41Marion County842+7.5%
42Bamberg County834+5.8%
43Barnwell County808+4.7%
44Clarendon County781+5.5%
45McCormick County761+1.2%
46Dillon County760+4.4%

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/2023/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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/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), 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/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)?

Berkeley County, with $1,249 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Dillon County, with $760 in 2023.

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