Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an elementary school teacher make in Charleston, SC?

In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area, elementary school teachers earned a median of $61,020 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,670 of these jobs there. That is 24% above the $49,150 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $49,140 and $78,870; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $49,479 in take-home pay.

Elementary school teacher pay in Charleston, SC at a glance

Median salary

$61,020$5,085 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$49,140—
25th percentile$59,130—
75th percentile$76,940—
90th percentile$78,870—
Jobs in this metro4,670Location quotient 1.33 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% aboveAll-jobs median $49,150
Against South Carolinaabout the same asStatewide median $60,820
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $63,970

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Elementary school teacher salary in Charleston, SC after taxes

$61,020
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$61,020
Net 81%
Fed 8%
SC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$49,479After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,123Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,903Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,142 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$1,730 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,668 / yr

Elementary school teachers pay range in Charleston, SC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What elementary school teachers earned in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile—$4,095$49,140$40,722
25th percentile—$4,928$59,130$48,086
MedianMedian—$5,085$61,020$49,479
75th percentile—$6,412$76,940$60,172
90th percentile—$6,573$78,870$61,401

Is $61,020 a good salary in Charleston, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for elementary school teachers next to both.

Median household income$85,254Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)101.01% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household71.6%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Elementary school teacher pay in Charleston, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for elementary school teachers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for elementary school teachers in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area was $61,020 in May 2025, about $5,085 a month. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $60,820, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

Is there an hourly rate for elementary school teachers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many elementary school teachers work in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS estimated 4,670 jobs for elementary school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 11.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.33 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for elementary school teachers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS wage estimates for elementary school teachers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC run from $49,140 at the 10th percentile to $59,130 at the 25th, $76,940 at the 75th, and $78,870 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do elementary school teachers take home after taxes in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

On a median gross salary of $61,020, an estimated $49,479 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,903 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,541 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do elementary school teachers make per month in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

On the median annual salary of $61,020, gross monthly income is $5,085. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,123 per month (or $1,903 every two weeks).

Is $61,020 a good salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

At $61,020, the median salary for elementary school teachers is 71.6% of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC median household income ($85,254). It is 24% above the $49,150 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.0, so prices here run 1% above the U.S. average.