Elementary School Teachers salary in Charleston, SC
Median pay for elementary school teachers in Charleston, SC: $60,500/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $46,440 – $77,310 · about 4,300 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($62,430) by −$1,930 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $60,500 has the buying power of about $59,843 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,460 · median home $435,877 · median rent $2,024/mo.
How Charleston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charleston, SC is 114th of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 137th.
The headline number flatters Charleston. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, elementary school teachers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Charleston
A median home in Charleston, SC costs $435,877 — about 7.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,024/mo works out at 40% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where elementary school teachers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Charleston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +74% | 1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +71% | 1.6× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +71% | 1.5× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +67% | 1× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC | $61,370 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $57,850 | −4% | 0.7× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $57,260 | −5% | 0.9× |
| Greenville, SC | $49,400 | −18% | 0.8× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Joint Base Charleston · Government
- Charleston County School District · Education
Other jobs in Charleston
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.