Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in South Carolina

Median $24.00 an hour for 1,710 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$24.00/hrMedian hourly wageSouth Carolina, May data
$49,920/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.83 – $36.6810th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,710Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Sheet metal worker pay in South Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, South CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrSouth Carolina: 10th $17.83 · 25th $18.49 · median $24.00 · 75th $30.55 · 90th $36.68South Carolina$24.00$17.83$36.68United States: 10th $18.57 · 25th $22.99 · median $29.71 · 75th $39.24 · 90th $50.79United States$29.71
Hourly wage percentiles for sheet metal workers: South Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

South Carolina ranks 43rd of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 44th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.61). 1,710 sheet metal workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.83 – $18.49$37,090 – $38,450roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.49 – $30.55$38,450 – $63,550the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.55 – $36.68$63,550 – $76,300the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in South Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrCharleston: $28.68Charleston$28.68Spartanburg: $28.47Spartanburg$28.47Charlotte: $24.46Charlotte$24.46Columbia: $24.12Columbia$24.12Augusta: $23.54Augusta$23.54Florence: $23.02Florence$23.02Myrtle Beach: $22.76Myrtle Beach$22.76Greenville: $22.14Greenville$22.14
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in South Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Charleston$19.23$28.68$39.0027020% above
Spartanburg$23.44$28.47$38.508019% above
Charlotte$18.21$24.46$37.737002% above
Columbia$17.05$24.12$36.433501% above
Augusta$17.82$23.54$30.72902% below
Florence$18.06$23.02$35.24704% below
Myrtle Beach$13.88$22.76$28.43405% below
Greenville$18.25$22.14$35.005608% below

Sheet metal worker wages in South Carolina over time

South Carolina, 1999-2025South CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$24.00South Carolina
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, South Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearSouth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.68$22.57$14.092,580
2000$12.49$23.35$15.313,020
2001$12.86$23.38$15.972,550
2002$13.38$23.94$16.622,740
2003$13.27$23.22$16.832,830
2004$12.39$21.12$17.093,080
2005$13.62$22.45$17.502,780
2006$13.69$21.86$17.962,920
2007$14.88$23.10$18.852,540
2008$15.20$22.73$19.372,580
2009$15.21$22.82$19.542,580
2010$14.91$22.01$20.052,060
2011$14.92$21.35$20.551,780
2012$15.67$21.97$20.811,460
2013$16.87$23.31$21.101,670
2014$17.69$24.06$21.671,510
2015$16.89$22.94$21.991,760
2016$17.84$23.93$22.571,950
2017$17.87$23.47$23.071,980
2018$17.92$22.98$23.301,960
2019$17.51$22.05$24.231,870
2020$17.11$21.28$24.701,660
2021$19.29$22.92$25.691,150
2022$21.09$23.20$26.611,140
2023$23.66$25.00$28.261,170
2024$22.15$22.73$29.261,460
2025$24.00$24.00$29.711,710

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in South Carolina changed by +4.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in South Carolina

On federally funded construction in South Carolina, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 27 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $16.00). 27 of the 27 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Abbeville County at $16.00). The market median for the state is $24.00.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, SCAbbeville: $16.00 (survey)Aiken: $57.37 (survey)Allendale: $20.30 (survey)Anderson: —Bamberg: $20.30 (survey)Barnwell: $20.30 (survey)Beaufort: $20.30 (survey)Berkeley: —Calhoun: —Charleston: —Cherokee: $16.00 (survey)Chester: $16.00 (survey)Chesterfield: $16.00 (survey)Clarendon: $16.00 (survey)Colleton: $20.30 (survey)Darlington: —Dillon: $16.00 (survey)Dorchester: —Edgefield: —Fairfield: —Florence: —Georgetown: $20.30 (survey)Greenville: —Greenwood: $16.00 (survey)Hampton: $20.30 (survey)Horry: —Jasper: $20.30 (survey)Kershaw: —Lancaster: $16.00 (survey)Laurens: —Lee: $16.00 (survey)Lexington: —McCormick: $16.00 (survey)Marion: $16.00 (survey)Marlboro: $16.00 (survey)Newberry: $20.30 (survey)Oconee: $16.00 (survey)Orangeburg: $20.30 (survey)Pickens: —Richland: —Saluda: —Spartanburg: —Sumter: —Union: $16.00 (survey)Williamsburg: $20.30 (survey)York: $19.11 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$20.30n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for sheet metal workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60$80/hrAiken (Augusta): market median $23.54, prevailing (survey) $57.37, gap +$33.83Aiken (Augusta)+$33.83Beaufort (South Carolina): market median $24.00, prevailing (survey) $20.30, gap −$3.70Beaufort (South Carolina)−$3.70York (Charlotte): market median $24.46, prevailing (survey) $19.11, gap −$5.35York (Charlotte)−$5.35Union (Spartanburg): market median $28.47, prevailing (survey) $16.00, gap −$12.47Union (Spartanburg)−$12.47
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in South Carolina.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AikenSurvey SUSC2011-002 2008-10-01$38.50$18.87$57.37SC20260002
AllendaleSurvey SUSC2011-014 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260018
BambergSurvey SUSC2011-014 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260018
BarnwellSurvey SUSC2011-003 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260007
BeaufortSurvey SUSC2011-004 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260008
ColletonSurvey SUSC2011-007 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260011
GeorgetownSurvey SUSC2011-016 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260020
HamptonSurvey SUSC2011-009 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260013
JasperSurvey SUSC2011-016 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260020
NewberrySurvey SUSC2011-011 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260015
OrangeburgSurvey SUSC2011-012 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260016
WilliamsburgSurvey SUSC2011-016 2011-08-31$19.15$1.15$20.30SC20260020
YorkSurvey SUSC2011-027 2011-08-31$19.11$0.00$19.11SC20260031
AbbevilleSurvey SUSC2011-013 2011-08-31$16.00$0.00$16.00SC20260017
CherokeeSurvey SUSC2011-013 2011-08-31$16.00$0.00$16.00SC20260017

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 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just sheet metal workers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Florence County506$95,391$1,834
Cherokee County134$87,472$1,682
Berkeley County655$82,750$1,591
Charleston County2,659$79,004$1,519
Greenville County2,304$75,165$1,445
Jasper County163$74,756$1,438
Beaufort County887$72,504$1,394
York County847$72,363$1,392
Spartanburg County1,043$71,055$1,366
Richland County1,263$70,971$1,365
Laurens County137$70,231$1,351
Dorchester County277$69,526$1,337

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in South Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in South Carolina?

The median sheet metal worker in South Carolina earned $24.00 an hour ($49,920 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $18.49–$30.55; the top 10% earn more than $36.68.

Where does South Carolina rank for sheet metal worker pay?

South Carolina ranks 43rd of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $24.00 an hour, and 44th after adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 93.7, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in South Carolina?

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

How many sheet metal workers work in South Carolina?

BLS counted 1,710 sheet metal workers in South Carolina in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.97; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Carolina and metro areas, SOC 47-2211.
  • 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.