Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Charleston, SC

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn a median $38,090 a year — 5% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,657 take-home, or $2,638 a month.

Median salary
$38,090
$18.31 per hour
Typical range
$31,250 – $52,120
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Charleston, SC
8,100
1.08× national concentration
▲2.4%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Charleston, SC rose from $37,200 (May 2024) to $38,090 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in Charleston, SC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Charleston, SC
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$31,657
per year · effective tax rate 16.9%
$2,638Monthly
$1,319Twice a month
$1,218Every 2 weeks
$15.22Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,391
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,362
  • Medicare (1.45%)$552
  • South Carolina income tax$1,128
  • Take-home pay$31,657

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay by experience in Charleston, SC

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$31,250$15.02$26,571$2,214
25th percentile$35,950$17.28$30,066$2,505
Median (50th)$38,090$18.31$31,657$2,638
75th percentile$45,700$21.97$37,315$3,110
90th percentile (top earners)$52,120$25.06$42,088$3,507

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, South Carolina resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $38,090 buys in Charleston, SC

Prices in Charleston, SC are 1.0% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.20× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $31,657 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,355 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,630
62% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,787
68% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,008
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs are about as common in Charleston, SC as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.08).

Best-paying cities for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, adjusted for cost of living

Charleston, SC ranks #157 of 164 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Waterloo, IA $47,440$39,147$44,967
2Fargo, ND $45,690$38,892$42,799
3Des Moines, IA $46,370$38,328$41,797
4Louisville, KY $46,830$38,286$41,135
5Chambersburg, PA $47,540$38,919$41,122
6Cedar Rapids, IA $43,300$35,978$40,441
7Youngstown, OH $41,540$35,197$40,274
8Tyler, TX $43,390$37,044$40,197
157Charleston, SC$38,090$31,657$31,355

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 164 metros →

About the job: laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+1.8% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salaries elsewhere in South Carolina

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Charleston, SC?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area is $38,090 a year, or about $18.31 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,950 and $45,700.

What is a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s take-home pay in Charleston, SC?

On the median $38,090 salary, a single filer living in South Carolina takes home about $31,657 a year ($2,638 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,128 in South Carolina taxes in 2026.

Is Charleston, SC a good place to work as a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?

Pay here is 5% below the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 1.0% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,355 would in a typical U.S. city. Charleston, SC ranks #157 of 164 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford rent in Charleston, SC?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Charleston, SC is $1,630 a month ($1,787 for two bedrooms) — 62% of a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Charleston, SC

Cost of living & all salaries in Charleston, SC →