Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in Charleston, SC
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Charleston, SC: $53,610/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $38,480 – $75,610 · about 690 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($59,690) by −$6,080 (-10%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $53,610 has the buying power of about $53,028 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 127th of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 150th.
The headline number flatters Charleston. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters 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 8.1× 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 45% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +89% | 1.1× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +81% | 0.8× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +79% | 0.9× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +64% | 0.7× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $53,960 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $51,500 | −4% | 0.7× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $48,910 | −9% | 0.9× |
| Columbia, SC | $47,720 | −11% | 0.8× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters 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.