SOC 15-1252 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Software Developers Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for software developers in Charleston, South Carolina is $138,730 a year ($66.70 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $132,150: half of the 2,050 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).

$138,730average per year

$66.70 / hourMedian $132,150Take-home ≈ $99,826

  • $80K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $132KMedian
  • $164K75th
  • $213K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,050people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 7South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Software Developers pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $213,340 or more. The middle half of software developers in Charleston earn between $101,880 and $163,700.

  • $80K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $132KMedian
  • $164K75th
  • $213K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$138,730$11,561$66.70
Median$132,150$11,012$63.53
Entry level (25th percentile)$101,880$8,490$48.98
Experienced (75th percentile)$163,700$13,642$78.70

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

Software Developers salary after taxes in Charleston

On the average salary of $138,730, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $99,826 a year, or $8,319 a month and $3,839 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.

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

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Is Charleston a good place for software developers? 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 $138,730 buys what about $137,408 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 3.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $138,730 is worth in another city

Software Developers salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 2nd of 7 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Hilton Head Island pays the most ($138,790).

All Software Developers salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for software developers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).

Software Developers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Software Developers in Charleston, SC.

Software Developers salary in Charleston: questions

How much do software developers make an hour in Charleston?

$66.70 an hour on average, and $63.54 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level software developers salary in Charleston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the software developers take-home pay in Charleston?

About $99,826 a year ($8,319 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $138,730.

Do software developers earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).

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 15-1252; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • 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 0.48, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.48).

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