Mechanical Engineers salary in Charleston, SC

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Charleston, SC: $97,890/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $63,400 – $140,190 · about 750 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$2,285 (+2%).

What it's really worth in Charleston

With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $97,890 has the buying power of about $96,827 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $77,460 · median home $435,877 · median rent $2,024/mo.

Full Charleston cost of living & taxes →

How Charleston ranks for this job

On raw pay, Charleston, SC is 74th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 86th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Charleston sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Charleston

A median home in Charleston, SC costs $435,877 — about 4.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,024/mo works out at 25% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where mechanical engineers 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	$153,520	+57%	1.8×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+40%	1.6×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+37%	0.7×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+34%	0.7×

Same job elsewhere in SC

Metro	Median pay	vs Charleston	Rent vs Charleston
Greenville, SC	$99,340	+1%	0.8×
Spartanburg, SC	$95,950	−2%	0.7×
Columbia, SC	$87,200	−11%	0.8×
Myrtle Beach, SC	$79,720	−19%	0.9×

Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires mechanical engineers around Charleston

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Boeing · Aerospace/Defense

Other jobs in Charleston