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

How much does a lawyer make in Charleston, SC?

In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $127,280 a year ($61.19 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,590 of these jobs there. That is 159% above the $49,150 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $75,960 and $272,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $92,597 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Charleston, SC at a glance

Median salary

$127,280$61.19 per hour · $10,607 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$75,960$36.52/hr
25th percentile$84,210$40.49/hr
75th percentile$175,390$84.32/hr
90th percentile$272,990$131.25/hr
Jobs in this metro1,590Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here159% aboveAll-jobs median $49,150
Against South Carolina6% aboveStatewide median $120,310
Against the U.S.20% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Charleston, SC after taxes

$127,280
$50,000$255,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$127,280
Net 73%
Fed 15%
SC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$92,597After all taxes
Monthly deposit$7,716Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,561Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate27.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$19,281 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$5,665 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$9,737 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$36.52/hr$6,330$75,960$59,547
25th percentile$40.49/hr$7,018$84,210$64,804
MedianMedian$61.19/hr$10,607$127,280$92,597
75th percentile$84.32/hr$14,616$175,390$122,973
90th percentile$131.25/hr$22,749$272,990$184,998

Is $127,280 a good salary in Charleston, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers 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 household149.3%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Charleston, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area was $127,280 in May 2025, about $10,607 a month or $61.19 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $120,310, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was $61.19 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $36.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $131.25.

How many lawyers work in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS estimated 1,590 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC run from $75,960 at the 10th percentile to $84,210 at the 25th, $175,390 at the 75th, and $272,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

On a median gross salary of $127,280, an estimated $92,597 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,561 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $34,683 (an effective rate of 27.2%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

On the median annual salary of $127,280, gross monthly income is $10,607. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $7,716 per month (or $3,561 every two weeks).

Is $127,280 a good salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

At $127,280, the median salary for lawyers is 149.3% of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC median household income ($85,254). It is 159% 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.