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

How much does a retail salesperson make in Charleston, SC?

In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $34,090 a year ($16.39 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 11,930 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $49,150 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,590 and $47,750; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,191 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Charleston, SC at a glance

Median salary

$34,090$16.39 per hour · $2,841 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,590$11.34/hr
25th percentile$28,640$13.77/hr
75th percentile$37,430$18.00/hr
90th percentile$47,750$22.96/hr
Jobs in this metro11,930Location quotient 1.21 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $49,150
Against South Carolina11% aboveStatewide median $30,690
Against the U.S.4% belowNational median $35,410

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.

Retail salesperson salary in Charleston, SC after taxes

$34,090
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,090
Net 86%
Fed 6%
SC 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,191After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,433Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,123Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,911 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$380 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,608 / yr

Retail salespersons 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 retail salespersons earned in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$11.34/hr$1,966$23,590$20,865
25th percentile$13.77/hr$2,387$28,640$24,921
MedianMedian$16.39/hr$2,841$34,090$29,191
75th percentile$18.00/hr$3,119$37,430$31,809
90th percentile$22.96/hr$3,979$47,750$39,697

Is $34,090 a good salary in Charleston, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for retail salespersons 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 household40%of area median income

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

Retail salesperson pay in Charleston, SC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area was $34,090 in May 2025, about $2,841 a month or $16.39 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $30,690, so the metro pays 11% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was $16.39 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.96.

How many retail salespersons work in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

BLS estimated 11,930 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 30.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.21 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Charleston-North Charleston, SC run from $23,590 at the 10th percentile to $28,640 at the 25th, $37,430 at the 75th, and $47,750 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $34,090, an estimated $29,191 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,123 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,899 (an effective rate of 14.4%).

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

On the median annual salary of $34,090, gross monthly income is $2,841. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,433 per month (or $1,123 every two weeks).

Is $34,090 a good salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

At $34,090, the median salary for retail salespersons is 40% of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC median household income ($85,254). It is 31% below 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.