Counties in South Carolina by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Charleston County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2024, at $1,313. Clarendon County had the lowest, at $792. The median was $1,021 and the figure for South Carolina was $1,173. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,313Charleston County
Median1,02146 counties
South Carolina1,173History

Map of counties, 2024

Abbeville County: 949 USDAiken County: 1,218 USDAllendale County: 1,040 USDAnderson County: 995 USDBamberg County: 904 USDBarnwell County: 834 USDBeaufort County: 1,053 USDBerkeley County: 1,312 USDCalhoun County: 1,170 USDCharleston County: 1,313 USDCherokee County: 928 USDChester County: 1,124 USDChesterfield County: 946 USDClarendon County: 792 USDColleton County: 926 USDDarlington County: 1,114 USDDillon County: 807 USDDorchester County: 1,030 USDEdgefield County: 1,013 USDFairfield County: 1,192 USDFlorence County: 1,017 USDGeorgetown County: 968 USDGreenville County: 1,216 USDGreenwood County: 1,025 USDHampton County: 976 USDHorry County: 924 USDJasper County: 1,036 USDKershaw County: 944 USDLancaster County: 1,241 USDLaurens County: 992 USDLee County: 954 USDLexington County: 1,077 USDMcCormick County: 816 USDMarion County: 898 USDMarlboro County: 1,036 USDNewberry County: 943 USDOconee County: 1,115 USDOrangeburg County: 1,044 USDPickens County: 1,035 USDRichland County: 1,207 USDSaluda County: 900 USDSpartanburg County: 1,145 USDSumter County: 1,024 USDUnion County: 933 USDWilliamsburg County: 953 USDYork County: 1,174 USD
  • Under 930
  • 930 to 950
  • 950 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,200
  • 1,200 and over
USD, 2024. 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, 2024

Charleston County: 1,313 USDCharleston County1,313Berkeley County: 1,312 USDBerkeley County1,312Lancaster County: 1,241 USDLancaster County1,241Aiken County: 1,218 USDAiken County1,218Greenville County: 1,216 USDGreenville County1,216Richland County: 1,207 USDRichland County1,207Fairfield County: 1,192 USDFairfield County1,192York County: 1,174 USDYork County1,174Calhoun County: 1,170 USDCalhoun County1,170Spartanburg County: 1,145 USDSpartanburg County1,145Chester County: 1,124 USDChester County1,124Oconee County: 1,115 USDOconee County1,115Darlington County: 1,114 USDDarlington County1,114Lexington County: 1,077 USDLexington County1,077Beaufort County: 1,053 USDBeaufort County1,053Orangeburg County: 1,044 USDOrangeburg County1,044Allendale County: 1,040 USDAllendale County1,040Jasper County: 1,036 USDJasper County1,036Marlboro County: 1,036 USDMarlboro County1,036Pickens County: 1,035 USDPickens County1,035Dorchester County: 1,030 USDDorchester County1,030Greenwood County: 1,025 USDGreenwood County1,025Sumter County: 1,024 USDSumter County1,024Florence County: 1,017 USDFlorence County1,017Edgefield County: 1,013 USDEdgefield County1,013Anderson County: 995 USDAnderson County995Laurens County: 992 USDLaurens County992Hampton County: 976 USDHampton County976Georgetown County: 968 USDGeorgetown County968Lee County: 954 USDLee County954Williamsburg County: 953 USDWilliamsburg County953Abbeville County: 949 USDAbbeville County949Chesterfield County: 946 USDChesterfield County946Kershaw County: 944 USDKershaw County944Newberry County: 943 USDNewberry County943Union County: 933 USDUnion County933Cherokee County: 928 USDCherokee County928Colleton County: 926 USDColleton County926Horry County: 924 USDHorry County924Bamberg County: 904 USDBamberg County904Saluda County: 900 USDSaluda County900Marion County: 898 USDMarion County898Barnwell County: 834 USDBarnwell County834McCormick County: 816 USDMcCormick County816Dillon County: 807 USDDillon County807Clarendon County: 792 USDClarendon County792Charleston County: 1,313 USDCharleston County1,313Berkeley County: 1,312 USDBerkeley County1,312Lancaster County: 1,241 USDLancaster County1,241Aiken County: 1,218 USDAiken County1,218Greenville County: 1,216 USDGreenville County1,216Richland County: 1,207 USDRichland County1,207Fairfield County: 1,192 USDFairfield County1,192York County: 1,174 USDYork County1,174Calhoun County: 1,170 USDCalhoun County1,170Spartanburg County: 1,145 USDSpartanburg County1,145Chester County: 1,124 USDChester County1,124Oconee County: 1,115 USDOconee County1,115Darlington County: 1,114 USDDarlington County1,114Lexington County: 1,077 USDLexington County1,077Beaufort County: 1,053 USDBeaufort County1,053Orangeburg County: 1,044 USDOrangeburg County1,044Allendale County: 1,040 USDAllendale County1,040Jasper County: 1,036 USDJasper County1,036Marlboro County: 1,036 USDMarlboro County1,036Pickens County: 1,035 USDPickens County1,035Dorchester County: 1,030 USDDorchester County1,030Greenwood County: 1,025 USDGreenwood County1,025Sumter County: 1,024 USDSumter County1,024Florence County: 1,017 USDFlorence County1,017Edgefield County: 1,013 USDEdgefield County1,013Anderson County: 995 USDAnderson County995Laurens County: 992 USDLaurens County992Hampton County: 976 USDHampton County976Georgetown County: 968 USDGeorgetown County968Lee County: 954 USDLee County954Williamsburg County: 953 USDWilliamsburg County953Abbeville County: 949 USDAbbeville County949Chesterfield County: 946 USDChesterfield County946Kershaw County: 944 USDKershaw County944Newberry County: 943 USDNewberry County943Union County: 933 USDUnion County933Cherokee County: 928 USDCherokee County928Colleton County: 926 USDColleton County926Horry County: 924 USDHorry County924Bamberg County: 904 USDBamberg County904Saluda County: 900 USDSaluda County900Marion County: 898 USDMarion County898Barnwell County: 834 USDBarnwell County834McCormick County: 816 USDMcCormick County816Dillon County: 807 USDDillon County807Clarendon County: 792 USDClarendon County792
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

RankCounties2024
USD
Change on 2023
1Charleston County1,313+5.4%
2Berkeley County1,312+5%
3Lancaster County1,241+6.4%
4Aiken County1,218+4.4%
5Greenville County1,216+4.6%
6Richland County1,207+3.7%
7Fairfield County1,192+1.7%
8York County1,174+4.8%
9Calhoun County1,170+2.8%
10Spartanburg County1,145+5.1%
11Chester County1,124+4.9%
12Oconee County1,115+6.4%
13Darlington County1,114+3.5%
14Lexington County1,077+5%
15Beaufort County1,053+6.7%
16Orangeburg County1,044+17.2%
17Allendale County1,040-0.6%
18Jasper County1,036+3.5%
18Marlboro County1,036+3.9%
20Pickens County1,035+4.8%
21Dorchester County1,030+4.9%
22Greenwood County1,025+4.9%
23Sumter County1,024+4.5%
24Florence County1,017+5.5%
25Edgefield County1,013+5.5%
26Anderson County995+5%
27Laurens County992+3.8%
28Hampton County976+5.5%
29Georgetown County968+2.9%
30Lee County954+5.9%
31Williamsburg County953-1%
32Abbeville County949+5.4%
33Chesterfield County946+4.6%
34Kershaw County944+6.8%
35Newberry County943+4.4%
36Union County933+3.8%
37Cherokee County928+7.5%
38Colleton County926+4.4%
39Horry County924+4.9%
40Bamberg County904+8.4%
41Saluda County900+5%
42Marion County898+6.7%
43Barnwell County834+3.2%
44McCormick County816+7.2%
45Dillon County807+6.2%
46Clarendon County792+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/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

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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), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/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), 2024. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024. 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), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024.

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), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2024,
  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), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024. 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/2024/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), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2024/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/south-carolina-counties?period=2024.
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/2024/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

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

Charleston County, with $1,313 in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Clarendon County, with $792 in 2024.

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