SOC 51-8021 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Salary in Charleston, SC

The average salary for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Charleston, South Carolina is $76,500 a year ($36.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $71,950: half of the 30 people in this job in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($83,960).

$76,500average per year

$36.78 / hourMedian $71,950Take-home ≈ $59,891

  • $56K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $97K90th

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

30people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#1 of 2South Carolina metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay range in Charleston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $56,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,380 or more. The middle half of stationary engineers and boiler operators in Charleston earn between $68,060 and $81,280.

  • $56K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $97K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$76,500$6,375$36.78
Median$71,950$5,996$34.59
Entry level (25th percentile)$68,060$5,672$32.72
Experienced (75th percentile)$81,280$6,773$39.08

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

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay in Charleston vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Stationary engineers and boiler operators in Charleston earn 6% more than the South Carolina average ($71,920) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($83,960). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $78,620.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charleston$76,500$71,950$56,460$97,38030
South Carolina$71,920$72,650$53,330$89,240170
United States$83,960$78,620$50,590$125,39028,250

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

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary after taxes in Charleston

On the average salary of $76,500, a single filer in Charleston takes home about $59,891 a year, or $4,991 a month and $2,304 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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

Advertisement

Is Charleston a good place for stationary engineers and boiler 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 $76,500 buys what about $75,771 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Charleston ($49,150). A typical home costs $435,877, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $76,500 is worth in another city

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in other South Carolina cities

Charleston ranks 1st of 2 South Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for stationary engineers and boiler operators

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,680).

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators in Charleston, SC.

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in Charleston: questions

How much do stationary engineers and boiler operators make an hour in Charleston?

$36.78 an hour on average, and $34.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level stationary engineers and boiler operators salary in Charleston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $56,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $68,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the stationary engineers and boiler operators take-home pay in Charleston?

About $59,891 a year ($4,991 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,500.

Do stationary engineers and boiler operators earn more in Charleston than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($83,960).

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 51-8021; area Charleston-North Charleston, SC (16700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
  • 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 0.42, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.42).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.