South Carolina prevailing wage rates, by county
What contractors must pay each trade on federally funded jobs in South Carolina, county by county. Wage plus fringe, next to what the same trade earns on private work.
Look up the prevailing wage in your South Carolina county
Rates by county for the main trades
Rates are set by county, not by city. The South Carolina metros with their own pay pages are Charlotte (Chester, Lancaster, York). Click any county below for every trade on its determination.
Highest electrician rates
- 1Abbeville, Aiken and 5 more$49.20
- 2Berkeley, Calhoun and 10 more$46.79
- 3Georgetown, Hampton and 2 more$46.75
Lowest
- 1Chester, Chesterfield and 5 more$15.00
- 2Charleston$15.86
- 3Horry$18.15
Building construction, wage + fringe per hour. Counties sharing one rate are grouped. Solid is a union rate, hatched is a survey rate. Click a county for every trade.
| County | Electrician | Plumber | Carpenter | Construction laborer | Heavy equipment operator | Ironworker | Sheet metal worker | Painter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville | $49.20 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Aiken | $49.20 | $17.81* | $18.30* | $9.55* | $19.48* | $53.33* | $57.37* | $12.00* |
| Allendale | $24.03* | $19.16* | $15.42* | $11.17* | $18.22* | $53.33* | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Anderson | $45.97 | $23.77* | $17.98* | $13.57* | $18.01* | — | — | $12.36* |
| Bamberg | $24.03* | $19.16* | $15.42* | $11.17* | $18.22* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Barnwell | $24.03* | $19.16* | $15.42* | $11.17* | $18.22* | $53.33* | $20.30* | $13.96* |
| Beaufort | $18.33* | $19.85* | $15.96* | $11.88* | $21.76* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Berkeley | $46.79 | $24.30* | $17.61* | $12.82* | $23.16* | $47.75 | — | $12.74* |
| Calhoun | $46.79 | $17.81* | $20.23* | $10.33* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Charleston | $15.86* | $24.30* | $17.19* | $12.78* | $23.16* | $47.75 | — | $12.74* |
| Cherokee | $49.20 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Chester | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Chesterfield | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Clarendon | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Colleton | $46.79 | $19.85* | $16.00* | $11.52* | $18.78* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Darlington | $46.79 | $17.81* | $18.30* | $12.12* | $19.48* | $47.75 | — | $12.00* |
| Dillon | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Dorchester | $46.79 | $24.30* | $17.61* | $12.82* | $23.16* | $47.75 | — | $12.74* |
| Edgefield | $49.20 | $17.81* | $18.30* | $9.55* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.00* |
| Fairfield | $46.79 | $17.81* | $20.23* | $10.33* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Florence | $46.79 | $17.81* | $18.30* | $12.12* | $19.48* | $47.75 | — | $12.00* |
| Georgetown | $46.75 | $19.85* | $16.00* | $11.41* | $18.78* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Greenville | $45.97 | $23.77* | $19.04* | $14.18* | $18.70* | — | — | $12.74* |
| Greenwood | $45.97 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $9.64* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Hampton | $46.75 | $19.85* | $16.00* | $11.41* | $18.78* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Horry | $18.15* | $24.42* | $20.23* | $11.31* | $17.29* | — | — | $12.36* |
| Jasper | $46.75 | $19.85* | $16.00* | $11.41* | $18.78* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Kershaw | $46.79 | $17.81* | $20.23* | $11.85* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Lancaster | $45.97 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Laurens | $45.97 | $23.77* | $18.91* | $14.10* | $18.47* | — | — | $12.74* |
| Lee | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Lexington | $46.79 | $17.81* | $20.23* | $10.33* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Marion | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Marlboro | $15.00* | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| McCormick | $49.20 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Newberry | $24.03* | $19.16* | $15.45* | $11.04* | $18.22* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Oconee | $49.20 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Orangeburg | $24.03* | $19.16* | $15.45* | $11.17* | $18.22* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| Pickens | $45.97 | $23.77* | $18.91* | $14.10* | $18.47* | — | — | $12.74* |
| Richland | $46.79 | $17.88* | $20.15* | $10.73* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Saluda | $46.79 | $17.81* | $20.23* | $10.33* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.24* |
| Spartanburg | $45.97 | $23.77* | $15.67* | $11.18* | $18.01* | $47.75 | — | $12.36* |
| Sumter | $46.79 | $17.81* | $18.30* | $10.14* | $19.48* | — | — | $12.00* |
| Union | $49.20 | $19.16* | $15.24* | $10.52* | $17.93* | — | $16.00* | $14.75* |
| Williamsburg | $46.75 | $19.85* | $16.00* | $11.41* | $18.78* | — | $20.30* | $13.50* |
| York | $45.97 | $23.77* | $17.14* | $11.26* | $18.01* | — | $19.11* | $12.36* |
Building construction, wage + fringe per hour, current revision. * = survey rate. Not the official determination: the lookup gives the determination number and a link to the official text.
Prevailing wage vs market pay in South Carolina
The prevailing wage is what federally funded jobs must pay. The market median is what South Carolina employers report paying across all work, with no benefits in it. Every trade in the state is ranked on the highest-paying trades in South Carolina page, and every state is compared on the prevailing wage rates by state page.
| Trade | Market median $/hr | Prevailing wage $/hr (wage + fringe) | Rate type | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician in South Carolina | $28.24 | $46.79 | Union | +$18.55 |
| Plumber in South Carolina | $25.93 | $19.16 | Survey | $-6.77 |
| Carpenter in South Carolina | $24.36 | $16.00 | Survey | $-8.36 |
| Construction laborer in South Carolina | $20.65 | $11.11 | Survey | $-9.54 |
| Heavy equipment operator in South Carolina | $23.53 | $18.34 | Survey | $-5.19 |
| Ironworker in South Carolina | $24.40 | $47.75 | Union | +$23.35 |
| Sheet metal worker in South Carolina | $24.00 | $16.00 | Survey | $-8.00 |
| Painter in South Carolina | $19.64 | $13.50 | Survey | $-6.14 |
Prevailing wage is the typical Davis-Bacon rate across counties with one, Building construction. The market median has no benefits in it, so the gap is bigger than the difference in take-home pay. Not the official determination.
Questions this page answers
What is the prevailing wage in South Carolina?
On federally funded construction in South Carolina, it is the Davis-Bacon rate: a wage plus a fringe amount for benefits, set by county and trade in 66 wage determinations covering Building, Residential, Heavy and Highway work. Electricians are on a union rate in 31 of the 46 counties with a Building rate, and the typical union rate is $46.79 an hour, wage and fringe together.
How many Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover South Carolina?
66 active determinations cover South Carolina: 30 Building, 14 Heavy, 8 Highway, 16 Residential. The Building ones list rates for 46 counties, shown on this page. This page covers the federal rates; state-funded jobs may fall under South Carolina's own prevailing wage law.
How often do the rates change?
The Department of Labor publishes changes most Thursdays. The latest change to a South Carolina determination in our data is dated 2026-10-22. New determination numbers come out each January.
Sources and notes
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations for South Carolina, current revisions as of 2026-11-13: Heavy 14, Building 30, Highway 8, Residential 16.
- BLS OEWS May 2025 for market medians.
- Trade names simplified from the official classification labels by Skilled Wages; where a determination lists several electrician or laborer classes, the journeyman or general class is shown. The official text governs.