Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid

Greenville County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 46 counties in 2020, at $15.87 billion. McCormick County had the lowest, at $63.73 million. The median was $819.93 million and the figure for South Carolina was $110.17 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest15,874.7Greenville County
Median819.946 counties
South Carolina110,166.5History

Map of counties, 2020

Abbeville County: 250.7 USD millionAiken County: 3,524.3 USD millionAllendale County: 120.1 USD millionAnderson County: 3,180.7 USD millionBamberg County: 148.7 USD millionBarnwell County: 203.5 USD millionBeaufort County: 3,892.8 USD millionBerkeley County: 3,542 USD millionCalhoun County: 233.7 USD millionCharleston County: 15,608.8 USD millionCherokee County: 854.5 USD millionChester County: 486.8 USD millionChesterfield County: 647.9 USD millionClarendon County: 264.4 USD millionColleton County: 450.6 USD millionDarlington County: 1,081.8 USD millionDillon County: 360.4 USD millionDorchester County: 1,685.9 USD millionEdgefield County: 238 USD millionFairfield County: 340 USD millionFlorence County: 3,410 USD millionGeorgetown County: 1,171.8 USD millionGreenville County: 15,874.7 USD millionGreenwood County: 1,391.5 USD millionHampton County: 225.1 USD millionHorry County: 5,490.4 USD millionJasper County: 461.8 USD millionKershaw County: 785.3 USD millionLancaster County: 1,540.5 USD millionLaurens County: 958.7 USD millionLee County: 166.3 USD millionLexington County: 6,301.8 USD millionMcCormick County: 63.7 USD millionMarion County: 282 USD millionMarlboro County: 323.4 USD millionNewberry County: 650.5 USD millionOconee County: 1,276 USD millionOrangeburg County: 1,293.5 USD millionPickens County: 1,795 USD millionRichland County: 12,858.4 USD millionSaluda County: 190.2 USD millionSpartanburg County: 7,997.9 USD millionSumter County: 2,161.6 USD millionUnion County: 344.1 USD millionWilliamsburg County: 346.1 USD millionYork County: 5,690.7 USD million
  • Under 200
  • 200 to 300
  • 300 to 800
  • 800 to 1,500
  • 1,500 to 3,700
  • 3,700 and over
USD million, 2020. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2020

Greenville County: 15,874.7 USD millionGreenville County15,874.7Charleston County: 15,608.8 USD millionCharleston County15,608.8Richland County: 12,858.4 USD millionRichland County12,858.4Spartanburg County: 7,997.9 USD millionSpartanburg County7,997.9Lexington County: 6,301.8 USD millionLexington County6,301.8York County: 5,690.7 USD millionYork County5,690.7Horry County: 5,490.4 USD millionHorry County5,490.4Beaufort County: 3,892.8 USD millionBeaufort County3,892.8Berkeley County: 3,542 USD millionBerkeley County3,542Aiken County: 3,524.3 USD millionAiken County3,524.3Florence County: 3,410 USD millionFlorence County3,410Anderson County: 3,180.7 USD millionAnderson County3,180.7Sumter County: 2,161.6 USD millionSumter County2,161.6Pickens County: 1,795 USD millionPickens County1,795Dorchester County: 1,685.9 USD millionDorchester County1,685.9Lancaster County: 1,540.5 USD millionLancaster County1,540.5Greenwood County: 1,391.5 USD millionGreenwood County1,391.5Orangeburg County: 1,293.5 USD millionOrangeburg County1,293.5Oconee County: 1,276 USD millionOconee County1,276Georgetown County: 1,171.8 USD millionGeorgetown County1,171.8Darlington County: 1,081.8 USD millionDarlington County1,081.8Laurens County: 958.7 USD millionLaurens County958.7Cherokee County: 854.5 USD millionCherokee County854.5Kershaw County: 785.3 USD millionKershaw County785.3Newberry County: 650.5 USD millionNewberry County650.5Chesterfield County: 647.9 USD millionChesterfield County647.9Chester County: 486.8 USD millionChester County486.8Jasper County: 461.8 USD millionJasper County461.8Colleton County: 450.6 USD millionColleton County450.6Dillon County: 360.4 USD millionDillon County360.4Williamsburg County: 346.1 USD millionWilliamsburg County346.1Union County: 344.1 USD millionUnion County344.1Fairfield County: 340 USD millionFairfield County340Marlboro County: 323.4 USD millionMarlboro County323.4Marion County: 282 USD millionMarion County282Clarendon County: 264.4 USD millionClarendon County264.4Abbeville County: 250.7 USD millionAbbeville County250.7Edgefield County: 238 USD millionEdgefield County238Calhoun County: 233.7 USD millionCalhoun County233.7Hampton County: 225.1 USD millionHampton County225.1Barnwell County: 203.5 USD millionBarnwell County203.5Saluda County: 190.2 USD millionSaluda County190.2Lee County: 166.3 USD millionLee County166.3Bamberg County: 148.7 USD millionBamberg County148.7Allendale County: 120.1 USD millionAllendale County120.1McCormick County: 63.7 USD millionMcCormick County63.7Greenville County: 15,874.7 USD millionGreenville County15,874.7Charleston County: 15,608.8 USD millionCharleston County15,608.8Richland County: 12,858.4 USD millionRichland County12,858.4Spartanburg County: 7,997.9 USD millionSpartanburg County7,997.9Lexington County: 6,301.8 USD millionLexington County6,301.8York County: 5,690.7 USD millionYork County5,690.7Horry County: 5,490.4 USD millionHorry County5,490.4Beaufort County: 3,892.8 USD millionBeaufort County3,892.8Berkeley County: 3,542 USD millionBerkeley County3,542Aiken County: 3,524.3 USD millionAiken County3,524.3Florence County: 3,410 USD millionFlorence County3,410Anderson County: 3,180.7 USD millionAnderson County3,180.7Sumter County: 2,161.6 USD millionSumter County2,161.6Pickens County: 1,795 USD millionPickens County1,795Dorchester County: 1,685.9 USD millionDorchester County1,685.9Lancaster County: 1,540.5 USD millionLancaster County1,540.5Greenwood County: 1,391.5 USD millionGreenwood County1,391.5Orangeburg County: 1,293.5 USD millionOrangeburg County1,293.5Oconee County: 1,276 USD millionOconee County1,276Georgetown County: 1,171.8 USD millionGeorgetown County1,171.8Darlington County: 1,081.8 USD millionDarlington County1,081.8Laurens County: 958.7 USD millionLaurens County958.7Cherokee County: 854.5 USD millionCherokee County854.5Kershaw County: 785.3 USD millionKershaw County785.3Newberry County: 650.5 USD millionNewberry County650.5Chesterfield County: 647.9 USD millionChesterfield County647.9Chester County: 486.8 USD millionChester County486.8Jasper County: 461.8 USD millionJasper County461.8Colleton County: 450.6 USD millionColleton County450.6Dillon County: 360.4 USD millionDillon County360.4Williamsburg County: 346.1 USD millionWilliamsburg County346.1Union County: 344.1 USD millionUnion County344.1Fairfield County: 340 USD millionFairfield County340Marlboro County: 323.4 USD millionMarlboro County323.4Marion County: 282 USD millionMarion County282Clarendon County: 264.4 USD millionClarendon County264.4Abbeville County: 250.7 USD millionAbbeville County250.7Edgefield County: 238 USD millionEdgefield County238Calhoun County: 233.7 USD millionCalhoun County233.7Hampton County: 225.1 USD millionHampton County225.1Barnwell County: 203.5 USD millionBarnwell County203.5Saluda County: 190.2 USD millionSaluda County190.2Lee County: 166.3 USD millionLee County166.3Bamberg County: 148.7 USD millionBamberg County148.7Allendale County: 120.1 USD millionAllendale County120.1McCormick County: 63.7 USD millionMcCormick County63.7
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
USD million
Change on 2019
1Greenville County15,874.7+1.3%
2Charleston County15,608.8+0.8%
3Richland County12,858.4+1.9%
4Spartanburg County7,997.9+2.1%
5Lexington County6,301.8+3.7%
6York County5,690.7+4.5%
7Horry County5,490.4-0.2%
8Beaufort County3,892.8+2.4%
9Berkeley County3,542+4.2%
10Aiken County3,524.3+0.8%
11Florence County3,410+1.2%
12Anderson County3,180.7+3.3%
13Sumter County2,161.6+2.6%
14Pickens County1,795+1.2%
15Dorchester County1,685.9+2.1%
16Lancaster County1,540.5+3.5%
17Greenwood County1,391.5+1.8%
18Orangeburg County1,293.5+1.3%
19Oconee County1,276-1%
20Georgetown County1,171.8+3%
21Darlington County1,081.8-2.6%
22Laurens County958.7-0.8%
23Cherokee County854.5-0.1%
24Kershaw County785.3+1.5%
25Newberry County650.5+3.3%
26Chesterfield County647.9-1%
27Chester County486.8-2%
28Jasper County461.8+6%
29Colleton County450.6+1.2%
30Dillon County360.4+2.1%
31Williamsburg County346.1-2.6%
32Union County344.1-6%
33Fairfield County340+7%
34Marlboro County323.4-3%
35Marion County282+4.4%
36Clarendon County264.4+3.6%
37Abbeville County250.7-0.1%
38Edgefield County238-2.7%
39Calhoun County233.7+2.6%
40Hampton County225.1+2.1%
41Barnwell County203.5-8.3%
42Saluda County190.2+4.5%
43Lee County166.3+5.2%
44Bamberg County148.7+0.1%
45Allendale County120.1-2.8%
46McCormick County63.7-8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

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 Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. 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 Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid, 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-carolina-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in South Carolina by wages and salaries paid using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"wages_and_salaries","level":"province","within":"South Carolina","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=wages_and_salaries&level=province&within=South%20Carolina&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Greenville County, with $15.87 billion in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

McCormick County, with $63.73 million 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 Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings