SOC 29-1071

Physician Assistant Salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC (2026)

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 68.4% Realized
$88,144 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $128,920 $61.98/hr
Effective Tax Drag 25.63% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$33,041 $1,270.80/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 $61.98 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,735/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,702/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,831
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,993
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,869
South Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$5,348
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$88,144 ($3,390.16 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Physician Assistant Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $128,920
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $77.8k 25th $110k Median: $128,920 50th (Median) $129k 75th $134k 90th $158k You: $128,920
10th (Entry) $77,790 $37.40/hr
25th (Junior) $109,960 $52.87/hr
50th (Median) $128,920 $61.98/hr
75th (Senior) $134,400 $64.62/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $158,260 $76.09/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Physician Assistant in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
1
Junior Physician AssistantARC-PA accredited Master's degree, NCCPA PANCE certification, state licensing
$99,622$47.90/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Staff Physician Assistant (Surgical/Inpatient)First-assist surgical certification, specialty clinical rotations, DEA registration
$119,556$57.48/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Physician Assistant SpecialistAdvanced clinical autonomy, specialized procedural competence, supervision of PA fellows
$138,522$66.60/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Chief Physician Assistant / Clinical DirectorHospital clinical administration, credentialing oversight, departmental leadership
$159,395$76.63/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Charleston-North Charleston, SC medianView National Physician Assistant Salary Data
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)
24% 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$128,920-$33,041$88,144$3,390.16
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$153,093-$41,515$102,392$3,938.16
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$177,265-$50,001$116,628$4,485.69
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$201,438-$57,450$131,901$5,073.11
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$225,610-$64,655$147,418$5,669.92
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

Physician Assistant 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
$128,920/yr
$61.98/hr · SOC 29-1071
Statutory Tax Drag
25.63% Effective
-$33,041 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,614/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 29-1071
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

Physician Assistant in Charleston-North Charleston, SC: Market Snapshot

Physician Assistant roles in Charleston-North Charleston, SC report a median annual wage of $128,920, 5.1% below the national median of $135,880. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $77,790 to $158,260, and HUD’s $1,731 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 16.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.18 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Physician Assistant

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$223,640+73.5%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$198,070+53.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$184,380+43.0%
Yuba City, CA$183,460+42.3%
Vallejo, CA$179,520+39.2%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$172,750+34.0%
Napa, CA$172,170+33.5%
Salinas, CA$170,180+32.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$170,060+31.9%
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$168,080+30.4%

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
Compensation and Benefits Managers$150,810$72.50/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

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 348 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.

Physician Assistant Salary in Charleston-North Charleston, SC (2026) Overview

Physician Assistant median pay in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $128,920 a year ($61.98/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Physician Assistant 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 Physician Assistant in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The median annual wage is $128,920 ($61.98 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $77,790 and $158,260. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Physician Assistant in Charleston-North Charleston, SC after taxes?

On the median wage of $128,920, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $93,632 a year ($7,803 a month) after $35,288 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 27.37%, using 2026 tax rules.