Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in South Carolina

Median $20.65 an hour for 19,620 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$20.65/hrMedian hourly wageSouth Carolina, May data
$42,940/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$15.00 – $30.4710th to 90th percentilehourly range
19,620Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Construction laborer pay in South Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, South CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrSouth Carolina: 10th $15.00 · 25th $17.64 · median $20.65 · 75th $23.62 · 90th $30.47South Carolina$20.65$15.00$30.47United States: 10th $16.87 · 25th $18.57 · median $22.66 · 75th $28.72 · 90th $37.54United States$22.66
Hourly wage percentiles for construction laborers: South Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

South Carolina ranks 42nd of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 38th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.04). 19,620 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$15.00 – $17.64$31,200 – $36,680roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$17.64 – $23.62$36,680 – $49,120the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$23.62 – $30.47$49,120 – $63,370the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in South Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrCharlotte: $22.04Charlotte$22.04Hilton Head: $21.99Hilton Head$21.99Florence: $21.75Florence$21.75Greenville: $21.34Greenville$21.34Charleston: $20.98Charleston$20.98Columbia: $20.49Columbia$20.49Spartanburg: $20.29Spartanburg$20.29Augusta: $18.62Augusta$18.62Sumter: $18.58Sumter$18.58Myrtle Beach: $18.37Myrtle Beach$18.37
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in South Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Charlotte$14.29$22.04$29.8110,8407% above
Hilton Head$17.15$21.99$32.989106% above
Florence$15.20$21.75$28.526505% above
Greenville$16.00$21.34$30.883,2503% above
Charleston$14.99$20.98$31.213,7102% above
Columbia$14.57$20.49$30.012,6101% below
Spartanburg$16.41$20.29$30.161,3102% below
Augusta$13.25$18.62$28.291,63010% below
Sumter$14.19$18.58$27.7339010% below
Myrtle Beach$15.06$18.37$29.591,44011% below

Construction laborer wages in South Carolina over time

South Carolina, 1999-2025South CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$20.65South Carolina
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, South Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearSouth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$8.73$16.87$10.8512,040
2000$9.10$17.01$11.1515,230
2001$9.36$17.02$11.5714,780
2002$9.62$17.22$11.9013,740
2003$9.72$17.01$11.8613,880
2004$9.85$16.79$12.1012,150
2005$9.95$16.40$12.2211,720
2006$10.42$16.64$12.6612,790
2007$10.98$17.05$13.1314,480
2008$11.55$17.27$13.7114,230
2009$11.90$17.86$14.0111,720
2010$12.06$17.81$14.0810,960
2011$12.54$17.95$14.3010,560
2012$12.78$17.92$14.4211,920
2013$12.99$17.95$14.6412,030
2014$12.89$17.53$14.9512,680
2015$13.33$18.11$15.3414,310
2016$13.47$18.07$16.0715,290
2017$13.59$17.85$16.6017,340
2018$14.10$18.08$17.2117,810
2019$14.97$18.85$17.7217,620
2020$15.80$19.65$18.2217,850
2021$16.78$19.94$18.1618,860
2022$17.50$19.25$19.5918,260
2023$18.35$19.39$21.7816,940
2024$19.86$20.38$22.4717,430
2025$20.65$20.65$22.6619,620

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in South Carolina changed by +14.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in South Carolina

On federally funded construction in South Carolina, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 46 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $11.11). 46 of the 46 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Abbeville County at $10.52). The market median for the state is $20.65.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, SCAbbeville: $10.52 (survey)Aiken: $9.55 (survey)Allendale: $11.17 (survey)Anderson: $13.57 (survey)Bamberg: $11.17 (survey)Barnwell: $11.17 (survey)Beaufort: $11.88 (survey)Berkeley: $12.82 (survey)Calhoun: $10.33 (survey)Charleston: $12.78 (survey)Cherokee: $10.52 (survey)Chester: $10.52 (survey)Chesterfield: $10.52 (survey)Clarendon: $10.52 (survey)Colleton: $11.52 (survey)Darlington: $12.12 (survey)Dillon: $10.52 (survey)Dorchester: $12.82 (survey)Edgefield: $9.55 (survey)Fairfield: $10.33 (survey)Florence: $12.12 (survey)Georgetown: $11.41 (survey)Greenville: $14.18 (survey)Greenwood: $9.64 (survey)Hampton: $11.41 (survey)Horry: $11.31 (survey)Jasper: $11.41 (survey)Kershaw: $11.85 (survey)Lancaster: $10.52 (survey)Laurens: $14.10 (survey)Lee: $10.52 (survey)Lexington: $10.33 (survey)McCormick: $10.52 (survey)Marion: $10.52 (survey)Marlboro: $10.52 (survey)Newberry: $11.04 (survey)Oconee: $10.52 (survey)Orangeburg: $11.17 (survey)Pickens: $14.10 (survey)Richland: $10.73 (survey)Saluda: $10.33 (survey)Spartanburg: $11.18 (survey)Sumter: $10.14 (survey)Union: $10.52 (survey)Williamsburg: $11.41 (survey)York: $11.26 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$10.52$11.18$11.88survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for construction laborers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$5$10$15$20$25/hrHorry (Myrtle Beach): market median $18.37, prevailing (survey) $11.31, gap −$7.06Horry (Myrtle Beach)−$7.06Greenville (Greenville): market median $21.34, prevailing (survey) $14.18, gap −$7.16Greenville (Greenville)−$7.16Berkeley (Charleston): market median $20.98, prevailing (survey) $12.82, gap −$8.16Berkeley (Charleston)−$8.16Sumter (Sumter): market median $18.58, prevailing (survey) $10.14, gap −$8.44Sumter (Sumter)−$8.44Kershaw (Columbia): market median $20.49, prevailing (survey) $11.85, gap −$8.64Kershaw (Columbia)−$8.64Aiken (Augusta): market median $18.62, prevailing (survey) $9.55, gap −$9.07Aiken (Augusta)−$9.07Spartanburg (Spartanburg): market median $20.29, prevailing (survey) $11.18, gap −$9.11Spartanburg (Spartanburg)−$9.11Darlington (Florence): market median $21.75, prevailing (survey) $12.12, gap −$9.63Darlington (Florence)−$9.63Beaufort (Hilton Head): market median $21.99, prevailing (survey) $11.88, gap −$10.11Beaufort (Hilton Head)−$10.11York (Charlotte): market median $22.04, prevailing (survey) $11.26, gap −$10.78York (Charlotte)−$10.78
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in South Carolina.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
GreenvilleSurvey SUSC2011-021 2011-08-31$12.57$1.61$14.18SC20260025
LaurensSurvey SUSC2011-031 2011-08-31$12.48$1.62$14.10SC20260006
PickensSurvey SUSC2011-031 2011-08-31$12.48$1.62$14.10SC20260006
AndersonSurvey SUSC2011-017 2011-08-31$12.77$0.80$13.57SC20260021
BerkeleySurvey SUSC2011-018 2011-08-31$11.10$1.72$12.82SC20260022
DorchesterSurvey SUSC2011-020 2011-08-31$11.10$1.72$12.82SC20260024
CharlestonSurvey SUSC2011-019 2011-08-31$11.06$1.72$12.78SC20260023
DarlingtonSurvey SUSC2011-030 2011-08-31$10.79$1.33$12.12SC20260005
FlorenceSurvey SUSC2011-030 2011-08-31$10.79$1.33$12.12SC20260005
BeaufortSurvey SUSC2011-004 2011-08-31$10.61$1.27$11.88SC20260008
KershawSurvey SUSC2011-023 2011-08-31$10.68$1.17$11.85SC20260027
ColletonSurvey SUSC2011-007 2011-08-31$11.52$0.00$11.52SC20260011
GeorgetownSurvey SUSC2011-016 2011-08-31$10.42$0.99$11.41SC20260020
HamptonSurvey SUSC2011-009 2011-08-31$10.42$0.99$11.41SC20260013
JasperSurvey SUSC2011-016 2011-08-31$10.42$0.99$11.41SC20260020

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the South Carolina prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in South Carolina?

129.7kConstruction jobsSouth Carolina, 2026-08
+4.3%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202660k80k100k120k140k19901995200020052010201520202025130kAug 2026
Construction employment in South Carolina (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just construction laborers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Berkeley County3,417$76,959$1,480
Charleston County9,252$76,562$1,472
Greenville County10,145$75,194$1,446
Cherokee County571$75,028$1,443
York County3,694$74,667$1,436
Florence County1,283$74,086$1,425
Spartanburg County5,223$72,543$1,395
Jasper County1,201$72,525$1,395
Lancaster County655$72,297$1,390
Richland County4,681$71,669$1,378
Edgefield County352$70,760$1,361
Calhoun County174$70,492$1,356

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in South Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in South Carolina?

The median construction laborer in South Carolina earned $20.65 an hour ($42,940 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $17.64–$23.62; the top 10% earn more than $30.47.

Where does South Carolina rank for construction laborer pay?

South Carolina ranks 42nd of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $20.65 an hour, and 38th after adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 93.7, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in South Carolina?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a construction laborer classification for most South Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many construction laborers work in South Carolina?

BLS counted 19,620 construction laborers in South Carolina in May 2025, 8.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.21; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Carolina and metro areas, SOC 47-2061.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.