Charleston-North Charleston, SC · CBSA 16700
Software Engineer Salary in Charleston
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for software engineers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against South Carolina and the national benchmark.
Software Engineers in Charleston earn a median of $124,790 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $95,690–$157,950; the top 10% earn $180,480. That is 6% below the national median and 15% above the South Carolina median. BLS reports 2,030 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$124,790
-6% vs national
Top 10% earn
$180,480
90th percentile
Employed in metro
2,030
Reliability Moderate (10.2% RSE)
Software Engineer pay — Charleston vs South Carolina vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $76,210 | -5% |
| 25th percentile | $95,690 | -7% |
| Median50th percentile | $124,790 | -6% |
| 75th percentile | $157,950 | -7% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $180,480 | -15% |
| Meanaverage | $126,070 | -13% |
How concentrated software engineers are in Charleston
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
0.49
Jobs per 1,000
5.24
Metro rank (pay)
#95 of 381
All engineering roles
$113,317
At a location quotient of 0.49, this occupation is thinner on the ground in Charleston than nationally. Pay can still be competitive, but the local employer pool is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software engineer make in Charleston?
Does Charleston pay more than the rest of South Carolina?
Where does Charleston rank nationally for software engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Charleston-North Charleston, SC (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →