SOC 11-3111

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Charleston Metro, SC

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + SC
COL Index: 136.48 (+36.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 67.0% Realized
$101,048 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $150,810 $72.50/hr
Effective Tax Drag 27% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$40,713 $1,565.90/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $72.50 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$9,049/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,172/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$22,757
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$9,350
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,187
South Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$6,420
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$101,048 ($3,886.46 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Compensation and Benefits Managers Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $150,810
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $67.8k 25th $104k Median: $150,810 50th (Median) $151k 75th $192k 90th $226k You: $150,810
10th (Entry) $67,850 $32.62/hr
25th (Junior) $103,670 $49.84/hr
50th (Median) $150,810 $72.50/hr
75th (Senior) $192,340 $92.47/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $226,400 $108.85/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
1
Compensation & Benefits AnalystBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$90,144$43.34/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior Analyst, Total RewardsDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$114,399$55.00/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Compensation & Benefits ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$150,780$72.49/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Senior Manager, Total RewardsOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$202,724$97.46/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Director of Total RewardsExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$259,317$124.67/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Charleston-North Charleston, SC medianView National Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists-$71,020/yr
National median: $78,210
Skill overlap: 96%
Human Resources Specialists-$73,290/yr
National median: $75,940
Skill overlap: 93%
Labor Relations Specialists-$53,810/yr
National median: $95,420
Skill overlap: 93%
Human Resources Managers+$50/yr
National median: $149,280
Skill overlap: 89%View Salary
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Charleston-North Charleston, SC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
21% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,731/month Requires minimum annual gross of $69,240
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,884/month Requires minimum annual gross of $75,360
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $30.18/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.11/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Charleston-North Charleston, SC.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$150,810-$40,713$101,048$3,886.46
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$179,087-$50,641$117,701$4,526.96
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$207,364-$59,217$135,705$5,219.43
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$235,641-$67,936$153,567$5,906.41
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$263,918-$78,491$169,592$6,522.77
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and South Carolina tax codes.

Market Baseline
$150,810/yr
$72.50/hr · SOC 11-3111
Statutory Tax Drag
27% Effective
-$40,713 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
21% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,690/mo
Post-$1,731/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 11-3111
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC: Market Snapshot

Compensation and Benefits Managers roles in Charleston-North Charleston, SC report a median annual wage of $150,810, 1.1% above the national median of $149,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $67,850 to $226,400, and HUD’s $1,731 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 13.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.18 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$221,800+47.1%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$218,860+45.1%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$216,580+43.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$215,180+42.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$188,850+25.2%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$186,700+23.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$185,590+23.1%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$179,730+19.2%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$171,950+14.0%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$168,850+12.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$197,220$94.82/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$174,040$83.67/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$170,000$81.73/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$167,000$80.29/hr
Financial Manager$147,170$70.75/hr
Sales Managers$139,830$67.23/hr
Marketing Managers$138,790$66.73/hr
Purchasing Managers$138,340$66.51/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$132,660$63.78/hr
Software Engineer$132,150$63.53/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 90 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Charleston Metro, SC Overview

Compensation & Benefits Managers median pay in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $150,810 a year ($72.50/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The median annual wage is $150,810 ($72.50 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $67,850 and $226,400. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC after taxes?

On the median wage of $150,810, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $107,453 a year ($8,954 a month) after $43,357 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 28.75%, using 2026 tax rules.