PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $102,560
- Median hourly wage: $49.31
- Total employment: 190 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, South Carolina
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Charleston. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 960 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $105,160
- Median hourly wage: $50.56
- Total employment: 290 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $105,500
- Median hourly wage: $50.72
- Total employment: 170 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,510
- Median hourly wage: $50.72
- Total employment: 1,050 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $105,640
- Median hourly wage: $50.79
- Total employment: 1,560 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,140
- Median hourly wage: $51.51
- Total employment: 790 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,580
- Median hourly wage: $53.64
- Total employment: 140 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $114,880
- Median hourly wage: $55.23
- Total employment: 470 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $118,500
- Median hourly wage: $56.97
- Total employment: 110 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $120,810
- Median hourly wage: $58.08
- Total employment: 230 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $121,120
- Median hourly wage: $58.23
- Total employment: 1,470 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $121,790
- Median hourly wage: $58.56
- Total employment: Not available
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $122,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.02
- Total employment: 400 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $123,100
- Median hourly wage: $59.18
- Total employment: 1,260 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $60.00
- Total employment: 2,030 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,540
- Median hourly wage: $60.36
- Total employment: 640 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $125,570
- Median hourly wage: $60.37
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $126,140
- Median hourly wage: $60.65
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,170
- Median hourly wage: $60.66
- Total employment: 490 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $126,220
- Median hourly wage: $60.68
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $126,330
- Median hourly wage: $60.74
- Total employment: 370 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $126,630
- Median hourly wage: $60.88
- Total employment: 600 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $126,880
- Median hourly wage: $61.00
- Total employment: 550 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $127,020
- Median hourly wage: $61.07
- Total employment: 320 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,460
- Median hourly wage: $61.28
- Total employment: 1,720 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $130,760
- Median hourly wage: $62.87
- Total employment: 210 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $132,490
- Median hourly wage: $63.70
- Total employment: 1,530 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $132,640
- Median hourly wage: $63.77
- Total employment: 250 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $133,770
- Median hourly wage: $64.31
- Total employment: 220 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kardasov Films // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Marine engineers and naval architects (tie)
- Median annual wage: $134,430
- Median hourly wage: $64.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electronics engineers, except computer (tie)
- Median annual wage: $134,430
- Median hourly wage: $64.63
- Total employment: 450 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $136,640
- Median hourly wage: $65.69
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,060
- Median hourly wage: $66.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $140,390
- Median hourly wage: $67.50
- Total employment: 1,070 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $144,460
- Median hourly wage: $69.45
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $148,390
- Median hourly wage: $71.34
- Total employment: 130 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $149,280
- Median hourly wage: $71.77
- Total employment: 400 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $154,120
- Median hourly wage: $74.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $157,580
- Median hourly wage: $75.76
- Total employment: 870 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $160,160
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $168,290
- Median hourly wage: $80.91
- Total employment: 600 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $190,080
- Median hourly wage: $91.39
- Total employment: 490 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $196,830
- Median hourly wage: $94.63
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $230,860
- Median hourly wage: $110.99
- Total employment: 210 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $234,440
- Median hourly wage: $112.71
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $235,350
- Median hourly wage: $113.15
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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