- The middle half earn between $18.17 and $33.13 an hour.
- South Carolina ranks 36th of the 48 states with published figures for median pay in this trade.
- South Carolina pays more than 1 of its 2 neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 140 locksmiths on payrolls in South Carolina.
- At the state median wage, a locksmith business needs to bill about $109.91 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Locksmith pay in South Carolina, bottom to top
BLS files these as locksmiths and safe repairers: the people who open and repair locks, make keys, change locks and combinations, and install and repair safes.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly | National hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $12.29 | $25,570 | $17.08 |
| 25th percentile | $18.17 | $37,800 | $20.75 |
| Median | $22.39 | $46,560 | $24.68 |
| 75th percentile | $33.13 | $68,910 | $31.04 |
| 90th percentile | $38.42 | $79,910 | $38.17 |
| Average (mean) | $24.63 | $51,230 | $26.67 |
Pay spreads out a lot in South Carolina. The bottom tenth earn $12.29 an hour or less while the top tenth earn $38.42 or more, a gap of 3.1 times against 2.2 nationally. Where a locksmith sits on that range matters as much as the state.
The bottom of the scale is lower than nationally ($12.29 against $17.08) while the top is higher ($38.42 against $38.17), so the climb from new hire to top earner is longer here.
The average wage, $24.63, sits 10% above the median. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical locksmith makes.
How South Carolina compares with other states
Over a full year, the South Carolina median of $46,560 is $4,760 less than the national $51,320.
In the state ranking, South Carolina sits 36th, between Nevada ($22.81) and Louisiana ($22.38). The range runs from $17.20 in Arkansas to $36.89 in the District of Columbia.
Against its neighboring states, South Carolina is in the middle: Georgia pays more, and North Carolina pays less.
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 | $22.39 | $46,560 | |
| Georgia | $25.99 | $54,050 | +$3.60 an hour |
| North Carolina | $22.07 | $45,900 | −$0.32 an hour |
How many locksmiths work in South Carolina
About 140 locksmiths work on payrolls in South Carolina, 0.9% of the 15,040 nationwide, the 31st largest count among the states.
It is a smaller part of local jobs than in most of the country, at 0.1 per 1,000 jobs, 0.65 times the national share.
What a locksmith 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 locksmith business in South Carolina paying the state median of $22.39, 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 | $22.39 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $50,134 |
| Break-even rate | ($50,134 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $93.42 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $93.42 ÷ 0.85 | $109.91 |
That is $109.91 per billable hour, 4.9 times the wage, and $4.02 less than the $113.93 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $33.13 in South Carolina, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $128.77.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $18.17, the rate only drops to $102.50.
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 locksmith in South Carolina
- Running the business. Quotes, invoices, booking and your website in one place: how locksmiths 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 49-9094, locksmiths and safe repairers, 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: locksmith salary by state.