Registered Nurses salary in Charleston, SC
Median pay for registered nurses in Charleston, SC: $80,440/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $65,730 – $100,800 · about 9,630 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$370 (+0%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $80,440 has the buying power of about $79,566 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 registered nurses wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 164th.
The headline number flatters Charleston. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses 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 5.4× 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 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +133% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +125% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +123% | 1.8× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +96% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $79,770 | −1% | 0.9× |
| Columbia, SC | $78,470 | −2% | 0.8× |
| Greenville, SC | $76,500 | −5% | 0.8× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $76,470 | −5% | 0.7× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Joint Base Charleston · Government
- Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) · Healthcare
- Roper St. Francis Healthcare · Healthcare
- Charleston County School District · Education
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.