Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $49,980 | $53,934 | -7% |
| Median hourly wage | $24.03 | $25.93 | -7% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $53,340.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Welder in South Carolina is $49,980, or about $24.03 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Welders is $53,934. South Carolina is -7% below the national median.
Entry-level welders in South Carolina typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 7,380 welder jobs on record and a median salary of $49,980, South Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, welders rank 401 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 44% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $118,620, Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $91,570, Power Plant Operators at $79,900 — 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, welders rank 401 of the 713 occupations reported in South Carolina — higher than 44% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $118,620 | $320 |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $91,570 | $190 |
| Power Plant Operators | $79,900 | $680 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $77,500 | $14,570 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $72,650 | $170 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $69,470 | $340 |
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.