SOC 17-1011 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for architects (except landscape and naval) in Charleston, South Carolina is $103,020 a year ($49.53 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $102,880: half of the 240 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 3% less than the U.S. average for this job ($106,260).

$103,020average per year

$49.53 / hourMedian $102,880Take-home ≈ $76,903

  • $64K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $103KMedian
  • $129K75th
  • $164K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

240people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
#3 of 4South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Architects, Except Landscape and Naval pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $164,030 or more. The middle half of architects (except landscape and naval) in Charleston earn between $78,740 and $129,140.

  • $64K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $103KMedian
  • $129K75th
  • $164K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$103,020$8,585$49.53
Median$102,880$8,573$49.46
Entry level (25th percentile)$78,740$6,562$37.86
Experienced (75th percentile)$129,140$10,762$62.09

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval pay in Charleston vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Architects (except landscape and naval) in Charleston earn about the same as the South Carolina average ($103,670) and 3% less than the U.S. average ($106,260). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $99,280.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charleston$103,020$102,880$64,170$164,030240
South Carolina$103,670$101,550$62,010$162,2401,030
United States$106,260$99,280$62,300$161,420106,770

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary after taxes in Charleston

On the average salary of $103,020, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $76,903 a year, or $6,409 a month and $2,958 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

South Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Charleston a good place for architects (except landscape and naval)? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Charleston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.0), so the average $103,020 buys what about $102,038 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $103,020 is worth in another city

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 3rd of 4 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Columbia pays the most ($107,210).

All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for architects (except landscape and naval)

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($142,170).

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in Charleston, SC.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary in Charleston: questions

How much do architects (except landscape and naval) make an hour in Charleston?

$49.53 an hour on average, and $49.46 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level architects (except landscape and naval) salary in Charleston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,740, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the architects (except landscape and naval) take-home pay in Charleston?

About $76,903 a year ($6,409 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $103,020.

Do architects (except landscape and naval) earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?

The average here is 3% less than the U.S. average for this job ($106,260).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-1011; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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