SOC 33-9092 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in Charleston, South Carolina is $30,970 a year ($14.89 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $33,170: half of the 450 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,470).

$30,970average per year

$14.89 / hourMedian $33,170Take-home ≈ $26,747

  • $21K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $33KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $39K90th

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

450people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#1 of 5South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,040 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,470 or more. The middle half of lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in Charleston earn between $26,720 and $33,370.

  • $21K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $33KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $39K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$30,970$2,581$14.89
Median$33,170$2,764$15.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$26,720$2,227$12.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,370$2,781$16.04

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

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers pay in Charleston vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in Charleston earn 14% more than the South Carolina average ($27,170) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($34,470). At the median the gap is -1% against the U.S. median of $33,580.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charleston$30,970$33,170$21,040$39,470450
South Carolina$27,170$26,210$20,470$35,4301,900
United States$34,470$33,580$25,780$43,970157,550

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

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary after taxes in Charleston

On the average salary of $30,970, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $26,747 a year, or $2,229 a month and $1,029 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers? 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 $30,970 buys what about $30,675 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 14.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $30,970 is worth in another city

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 1st of 5 South Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($60,740).

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary by city

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Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary in Charleston: questions

How much do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers make an hour in Charleston?

$14.89 an hour on average, and $15.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary in Charleston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,040 a year and the 25th percentile is $26,720, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers take-home pay in Charleston?

About $26,747 a year ($2,229 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,970.

Do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,470).

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 33-9092; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
  • 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 1.14, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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