Civil engineer · Charleston, SC
Civil engineer in Charleston: $2,594/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Charleston at $98,740 a year. About 1,310 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.41). The 10th percentile is $66,490 and the 90th is $167,240. Pay ranks 145th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,588/mo). South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,594 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Jacksonville, about 218 miles away, at $3,500 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$2,594
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$98,740
$66,490 to $167,240
Rent (1 bd)
$1,588
$1,890 (2 bd)
Employment
1,310
Location quotient 1.41
Pay rank
145th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $98,740.
- Taxes$2,119
- Rent$1,588
- Other living costs$1,927
- Left over$2,594
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $98,740
- Federal income tax
- −$13,337
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,554
- State income tax (SC)
- −$4,539
- Take-home pay
- $73,310
- Effective tax rate
- 25.8%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,588
- Groceries
- $384
- Getting around
- $535
- Healthcare
- $432
- Utilities and internet
- $240
- Everything else
- $336
- Total spending
- $3,515
Left over each month
$8,228 gross, minus $2,119 in tax and $3,515 in living costs.
$2,594
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Jacksonville, $3,500/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in Charleston
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Charleston?
$98,740 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,310 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Charleston?
$2,594 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,588, and pay covers 5.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Jacksonville, about 218 miles away, leaves $3,500 a month, more than Charleston.