Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Charleston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,190 a year or less, while the top 10% make $50,440 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Charleston earn between $36,900 and $42,370.
- $29K10th
- $37K25th
- $38KMedian
- $42K75th
- $50K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,800 | $3,233 | $18.65 |
| Median | $38,110 | $3,176 | $18.32 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,900 | $3,075 | $17.74 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $42,370 | $3,531 | $20.37 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Charleston
On the average salary of $38,800, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $32,882 a year, or $2,740 a month and $1,265 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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 sewing machine operators? 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 $38,800 buys what about $38,430 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 11.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Sewing Machine Operators salary in other South Carolina cities
Charleston ranks 4th of 4 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Spartanburg pays the most ($40,030).
- Spartanburg$40,030
- Greenville$39,290
- Columbia$38,810
- Charleston$38,800
Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators
Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).
- Appleton, WI$51,830
- Bend, OR$47,980
- San Jose, CA$47,860
- Santa Cruz, CA$47,460
- San Francisco, CA$46,380
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Sewing Machine Operators salary in Charleston: questions
How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Charleston?
$18.65 an hour on average, and $18.32 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in Charleston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,190 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,900, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in Charleston?
About $32,882 a year ($2,740 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,800.
Do sewing machine operators earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).
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 51-6031; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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