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

Office Clerks, General Salary in Charleston, SC

Office Clerks, General in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area earn a median $39,250 a year — 13% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $32,519 take-home, or $2,710 a month.

Median salary
$39,250
$18.87 per hour
Typical range
$22,680 – $60,040
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Charleston, SC
6,890
1.10× national concentration
▼1.6%
Pay trend: The median for office clerks, general in Charleston, SC fell from $39,900 (May 2024) to $39,250 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 4.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median office clerks, general salary in Charleston, SC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Office Clerks, General in Charleston, SC
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$32,519
per year · effective tax rate 17.1%
$2,710Monthly
$1,355Twice a month
$1,251Every 2 weeks
$15.63Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,530
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,434
  • Medicare (1.45%)$569
  • South Carolina income tax$1,198
  • Take-home pay$32,519

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state

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

Office Clerks, General pay by experience in Charleston, SC

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$22,680$10.90$19,966$1,664
25th percentile$30,940$14.88$26,341$2,195
Median (50th)$39,250$18.87$32,519$2,710
75th percentile$49,170$23.64$39,895$3,325
90th percentile (top earners)$60,040$28.87$47,977$3,998

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

What $39,250 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 office clerks, general's $32,519 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,210 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,630
60% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,787
66% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,080
per month for everything else

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

Office Clerks, General jobs are about as common in Charleston, SC as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).

Best-paying cities for office clerks, general, adjusted for cost of living

Charleston, SC ranks #150 of 157 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Fargo, ND $49,060$41,600$45,779
2Duluth, MN $46,820$38,114$42,936
3San Jose, CA $58,840$47,113$42,666
4Des Moines, IA $46,540$38,458$41,939
5Denver, CO $53,990$43,894$41,495
6Reno, NV $49,230$41,736$41,317
7Santa Maria, CA $55,620$44,761$41,141
8Kansas City, MO $45,640$37,644$40,677
150Charleston, SC$39,250$32,519$32,210

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 157 metros →

About the job: office clerks, general

Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, office machine operation, and filing.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-6.0% (declining)

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

Office Clerks, General salaries elsewhere in South Carolina

Frequently asked questions

How much does a office clerks, general make in Charleston, SC?

The median office clerks, general salary in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area is $39,250 a year, or about $18.87 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,940 and $49,170.

What is a office clerks, general’s take-home pay in Charleston, SC?

On the median $39,250 salary, a single filer living in South Carolina takes home about $32,519 a year ($2,710 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,198 in South Carolina taxes in 2026.

Is Charleston, SC a good place to work as a office clerks, general?

Pay here is 13% below the national median of $45,010. Local prices are 1.0% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,210 would in a typical U.S. city. Charleston, SC ranks #150 of 157 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a office clerks, general 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) — 60% of a median office clerks, general’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 →