South Carolina · SOC 17-2141
Mechanical Engineer Salary in South Carolina
VerifiedPublished wages for mechanical engineers in South Carolina, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Mechanical Engineers in South Carolina earn a median of $105,360 per year ($107,690 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $82,470–$126,560; the top 10% earn $148,720. That is 3% above the national median of $102,320, ranking South Carolina #16 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$105,360
+3% vs national
Top 10% earn
$148,720
90th percentile
Employed in state
5,060
Reliability High (4.5% RSE)
Mechanical Engineer pay distribution — South Carolina vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $67,210 | -2% |
| 25th percentile | $82,470 | +1% |
| Median50th percentile | $105,360 | +3% |
| 75th percentile | $126,560 | -3% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $148,720 | -8% |
| Meanaverage | $107,690 | -2% |
Where mechanical engineers earn most in South Carolina
Metro areas in South Carolina where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2141. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AugustaAugusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $122,920 | $171,690 | 610 |
| CharlestonCharleston-North Charleston, SC | $107,140 | $140,410 | 790 |
| SpartanburgSpartanburg, SC | $102,010 | $132,140 | 360 |
| CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $100,990 | $150,300 | 3,010 |
| FlorenceFlorence, SC | $100,890 | $157,110 | 150 |
| GreenvilleGreenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $98,290 | $160,360 | 1,470 |
| ColumbiaColumbia, SC | $97,580 | $139,060 | 410 |
| SumterSumter, SC | $90,790 | $130,970 | 50 |
South Carolina engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.20
Jobs per 1,000
2.23
State rank (pay)
#16 of 51
All engineering roles
$104,836
A location quotient of 1.20 means South Carolina employs mechanical engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical Engineers), South Carolina (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →