- The middle half earn between $20.97 and $30.10 an hour.
- South Carolina ranks 39th of the 50 states and DC for median pay in this trade.
- South Carolina pays more than both neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 6,950 carpenters on payrolls in South Carolina.
- At the state median wage, a carpentry or remodeling business needs to bill about $113.37 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Carpenter pay in South Carolina, bottom to top
The BLS carpenter group covers framing, finish and remodel carpenters, on homes and on commercial jobs.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly | National hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.31 | $36,010 | $19.43 |
| 25th percentile | $20.97 | $43,620 | $23.32 |
| Median | $24.36 | $50,670 | $29.12 |
| 75th percentile | $30.10 | $62,610 | $36.94 |
| 90th percentile | $38.00 | $79,040 | $48.03 |
| Average (mean) | $26.61 | $55,350 | $31.55 |
Pay is bunched up in South Carolina. The top tenth earn $38.00 an hour or more, about 2.2 times the $17.31 at the bottom tenth. Nationally that gap is 2.5 times, so the step from the bottom of the scale to the top is shorter here than in most places.
Both ends trail the national figures. The bottom tenth earn $2.12 an hour less than the bottom tenth nationally, and the top tenth $10.03 less than the national top tenth.
The average wage, $26.61, sits 9% above the median. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical carpenter makes.
How South Carolina compares with other states
Over a full year, the South Carolina median of $50,670 is $9,910 less than the national $60,580.
In the state ranking, South Carolina sits 39th, between Tennessee ($24.44) and Nebraska ($24.19). The range runs from $22.55 in Oklahoma to $41.00 in Hawaii.
South Carolina pays carpenters more than any of its neighboring states, Georgia and North Carolina. Someone working near the border can earn more by taking work on this side of it.
BLS wages are not adjusted for living costs. Lower pay often comes with lower housing costs, so the gap in take-home value can be smaller than the gap in wages.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $24.36 | $50,670 | |
| Georgia | $23.72 | $49,350 | −$0.64 an hour |
| North Carolina | $23.61 | $49,100 | −$0.75 an hour |
How many carpenters work in South Carolina
About 6,950 carpenters work on payrolls in South Carolina, 1.0% of the 670,090 nationwide, the 29th largest count among the states.
It is a smaller part of local jobs than in most of the country, at 3.0 per 1,000 jobs, 0.70 times the national share.
What a carpentry or remodeling business in South Carolina should charge
A lower wage helps the price less than you might expect, because the overhead does not shrink with it. Here is a carpentry or remodeling business in South Carolina paying the state median of $24.36, on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers: 40-hour weeks, 10 paid days off, 2 unbilled hours a day, 7.65% payroll taxes, $90,000 a year of overhead and 15% profit.
| Step | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Paid hours | 40 × 52 | 2,080 |
| Hours at work | 2,080 − 10 days × 8 | 2,000 |
| Billable hours | 2,000 × 6 ÷ 8 | 1,500 |
| Labor cost | $24.36 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $54,545 |
| Break-even rate | ($54,545 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $96.36 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $96.36 ÷ 0.85 | $113.37 |
That is $113.37 per billable hour, 4.7 times the wage, and $8.36 less than the $121.73 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $30.10 in South Carolina, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $123.45.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $20.97, the rate only drops to $107.42.
At this wage, overhead is most of the price: $60 of every billed hour goes to it before anyone is paid. Spreading the same overhead over more billable hours, with a second person or less drive time, brings the rate down fastest.
Run it with your own numbers in the labor rate calculator. It is free and shows every step.
Working as a carpenter in South Carolina
- Running the business. Quotes, invoices, booking and your website in one place: how remodelers run on Koira.
- Getting found. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where these numbers come from
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
The figures are the BLS state estimates for SOC 47-2031, carpenters, across all industries, read straight from the May 2025 state data file. They cover wage and salary workers, not the self-employed. Where BLS did not publish a figure, this page leaves it out.
All states in one table: carpenter salary by state.