Lawyers pay in South Carolina
$144,700avg. a year
$69.57 an hour · 7,890 employed
Lawyers in South Carolina earn an average of $144,700 a year. That is $41,140 (22%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at $186,020.
$120,310Median pay
$69.57Average hourly
+27%Avg. pay since 2020
#35Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying South Carolina metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.
15,380 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$186,020
$89.43 an hour
21,290 jobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC
$158,390
$76.15 an hour
3310 jobs
Spartanburg, SC
$150,250
$72.24 an hour
41,590 jobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$149,310
$71.78 an hour
51,950 jobs
Columbia, SC
$139,580
$67.10 an hour
6370 jobs
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
$139,250
$66.95 an hour
7440 jobs
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
$135,780
$65.28 an hour
870 jobs
Sumter, SC
$135,290
$65.04 an hour
9630 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$131,910
$63.42 an hour
10190 jobs
Florence, SC
$130,310
$62.65 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Lawyers pay in South Carolina, charted
Pay over time
South Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where South Carolina lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · South Carolina highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+South Carolina
South Carolina vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| South Carolina | $144,700 | $69.57 |
| Georgia | $191,190 | $91.92 |
| North Carolina | $160,340 | $77.09 |
Related jobs in South Carolina
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$55,790
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$98,400
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$108,940
- Judicial Law Clerks$59,310
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$61,350
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$50,050
Average pay, South Carolina, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in South Carolina?
The average is $144,700 a year, and the median is $120,310. That is $41,140 (22%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in South Carolina?
$69.57 an hour on average; the median is $57.84.
Where in South Carolina do they earn the most?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($186,020), followed by Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC ($158,390). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Florence, SC ($130,310).
How does South Carolina rank?
South Carolina ranks #35 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national lawyers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.