What is the real (cost-adjusted) Plumber salary in South Carolina?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 93.5 for South Carolina), the real-wage equivalent is $58,667 — what the $54,840 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $46,065 to $69,760.

What does the top of the Plumber pay scale look like in South Carolina?

The 90th percentile lands at $77,660. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $65,210.

Where does South Carolina rank for Plumber pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, South Carolina ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is South Carolina a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 93.5 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $54,840 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $58,667. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Plumbers comparing offers across regions.

What are the limits of these Plumber salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Union vs non-union plumber pay in South Carolina?

BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In South Carolina, UA (United Association)-represented plumbers and pipefitters typically earn 20-40% above non-union median once health, pension, and annuity contributions are included. The premium is concentrated in industrial, commercial, and government project work; residential service plumbing in South Carolina is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in South Carolina are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.

South Carolina Plumber Salary: BLS $55K Median, Real $59K (2026)

TL;DR

Headline Plumber pay in South Carolina is $54,840. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $58,667.
Low BEA RPP (93.5) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $3,827.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $35,460 · P25 $43,060 · P75 $65,210 · P90 $77,660.
Nominal: #45/51 · Real: #45/51 — ranking shifts by 0 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — South Carolina

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$35,460	$37,934
P25 (lower quartile)	$43,060	$46,065
P50 (median)	$54,840	$58,667
P75 (upper quartile)	$65,210	$69,760
P90 (top tier)	$77,660	$83,079
Mean	$55,390	$59,255
Employment	5,480 Plumbers in South Carolina

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	South Carolina index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	93.5
Goods	95.9
Services	85.8
Rents	80.5

South Carolina sits below the national baseline (RPP 93.5), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 80.5.

After-tax take-home — South Carolina (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Plumber)	$54,840	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$4,443	8.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,837	0–6.2% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,195	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$44,365	80.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$47,461	÷ (93.5 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the South Carolina state-tax burden means for Plumber take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.3% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $44,365 (80.9% of gross). After the 93.5 RPP, real take-home is $47,461.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $62,970 for Plumbers with mean pay of $69,940 and total employment of 455,940. South Carolina sits at #45 on nominal pay and #45 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.

Frequently asked questions

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Plumber salary in South Carolina?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 93.5 for South Carolina), the real-wage equivalent is $58,667 — what the $54,840 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $46,065 to $69,760.
What does the top of the Plumber pay scale look like in South Carolina?: The 90th percentile lands at $77,660. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $65,210.
Where does South Carolina rank for Plumber pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, South Carolina ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is South Carolina a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 93.5 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $54,840 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $58,667. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Plumbers comparing offers across regions.
What are the limits of these Plumber salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Union vs non-union plumber pay in South Carolina?: BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In South Carolina, UA (United Association)-represented plumbers and pipefitters typically earn 20-40% above non-union median once health, pension, and annuity contributions are included. The premium is concentrated in industrial, commercial, and government project work; residential service plumbing in South Carolina is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in South Carolina are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 47-2152, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how South Carolina Plumber pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.