Accountants & Auditors salary in Charleston, SC
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Charleston, SC: $73,850/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $47,170 – $124,070 · about 2,860 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($74,290) by −$440 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $73,850 has the buying power of about $73,048 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,460 · median home $435,877 · median rent $2,024/mo.
How Charleston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charleston, SC is 102nd of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 145th.
The headline number flatters Charleston. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, accountants & auditors here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Charleston
A median home in Charleston, SC costs $435,877 — about 5.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,024/mo works out at 33% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Charleston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +54% | 1.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +41% | 1.6× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +41% | 1.7× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +32% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $69,990 | −5% | 0.8× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $67,890 | −8% | 0.7× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $65,780 | −11% | 0.9× |
| Columbia, SC | $62,460 | −15% | 0.8× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Joint Base Charleston · Government
Other jobs in Charleston
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.