Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $58,070 | $79,739 | -27% |
| Median hourly wage | $27.92 | $38.34 | -27% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $61,974.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Police Officer in South Carolina is $58,070, or about $27.92 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Police Officers is $79,739. South Carolina is -27% below the national median.
Entry-level police officers in South Carolina typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 12,930 police officer jobs on record and a median salary of $58,070, South Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, police officers rank 331 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 54% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other at $81,330, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $77,110, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $73,700 — 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, police officers rank 331 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 54% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $81,330 | $90 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $77,110 | $360 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $73,700 | $1,560 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $65,160 | $1,450 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $63,130 | $480 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $62,760 | $1,470 |
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.