Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $104,580 | $107,639 | -3% |
| Median hourly wage | $50.28 | $51.75 | -3% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $111,612.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in South Carolina is $104,580, or about $50.28 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. South Carolina is -3% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in South Carolina typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 5,780 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $104,580, South Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 78 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 89% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Aerospace Engineers at $137,030, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects at $136,990, Nuclear Engineers at $126,570 — all figures are median annual wages for South Carolina.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. South Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 78 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 89% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineers | $137,030 | $650 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $136,990 | $40 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $126,570 | $1,440 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $125,110 | $690 |
| Materials Engineers | $121,610 | $600 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $113,720 | $1,030 |
South Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 713 occupations in South Carolina.