SOC 13-2053 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Insurance Underwriters Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for insurance underwriters in Charleston, South Carolina is $88,160 a year ($42.38 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $79,570: half of the 100 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,700).

$88,160average per year

$42.38 / hourMedian $79,570Take-home ≈ $67,321

  • $57K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $126K90th

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

100people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Insurance Underwriters pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,850 or more. The middle half of insurance underwriters in Charleston earn between $57,990 and $107,690.

  • $57K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $80KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $126K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$88,160$7,347$42.38
Median$79,570$6,631$38.25
Entry level (25th percentile)$57,990$4,832$27.88
Experienced (75th percentile)$107,690$8,974$51.77

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

Insurance Underwriters pay in Charleston vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Insurance underwriters in Charleston earn about the same as the South Carolina average ($87,610) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($93,700). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $81,370.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charleston$88,160$79,570$57,270$125,850100
South Carolina$87,610$79,570$51,020$134,950910
United States$93,700$81,370$55,530$145,160105,420

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

Insurance Underwriters salary after taxes in Charleston

On the average salary of $88,160, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $67,321 a year, or $5,610 a month and $2,589 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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 insurance underwriters? 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 $88,160 buys what about $87,320 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $88,160 is worth in another city

Insurance Underwriters salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 1st of 3 South Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Insurance Underwriters salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for insurance underwriters

Bridgeport, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($127,970).

Insurance Underwriters salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Insurance Underwriters in Charleston, SC.

Insurance Underwriters salary in Charleston: questions

How much do insurance underwriters make an hour in Charleston?

$42.38 an hour on average, and $38.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level insurance underwriters salary in Charleston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,990, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the insurance underwriters take-home pay in Charleston?

About $67,321 a year ($5,610 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $88,160.

Do insurance underwriters earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,700).

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 13-2053; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
  • 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 0.38, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.38).

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