Materials Engineers pay range in Charleston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $78,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $170,970 or more. The middle half of materials engineers in Charleston earn between $109,290 and $131,080.
- $79K10th
- $109K25th
- $131KMedian
- $131K75th
- $171K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $124,490 | $10,374 | $59.85 |
| Median | $131,080 | $10,923 | $63.02 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $109,290 | $9,108 | $52.54 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $131,080 | $10,923 | $63.02 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Materials Engineers salary after taxes in Charleston
On the average salary of $124,490, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $90,835 a year, or $7,570 a month and $3,494 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Charleston a good place for materials engineers? 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 $124,490 buys what about $123,304 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Materials Engineers salary in other South Carolina cities
Charleston ranks 2nd of 4 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Columbia pays the most ($129,410).
- Columbia$129,410
- Charleston$124,490
- Greenville$114,010
- Spartanburg$100,580
Highest-paying cities for materials engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($156,740).
- San Jose, CA$156,740
- Seattle, WA$153,780
- Washington, DC$145,070
- Boulder, CO$143,470
- Houston, TX$138,820
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Materials Engineers salary in Charleston: questions
How much do materials engineers make an hour in Charleston?
$59.85 an hour on average, and $63.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level materials engineers salary in Charleston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $78,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $109,290, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the materials engineers take-home pay in Charleston?
About $90,835 a year ($7,570 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $124,490.
Do materials engineers earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($122,532).
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 17-2131; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 3.49, this job is 3.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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