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News Release Information

25-1397-ATL
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

County Employment and Wages in South Carolina — First Quarter 2025

Employment rose in the seven largest counties in South Carolina from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Charleston County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Among the seven largest counties in South Carolina, employment was highest in Greenville (300,300) in March 2025. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 58.5 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

All seven large South Carolina counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Charleston had the largest gain (+5.3 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among South Carolina’s other six large counties ranged from 4.9 percent to 2.9 percent.


Weekly wages in all seven large South Carolina counties were below the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,412 in Charleston to $942 in Horry.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 39 small counties in South Carolina, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 39 smaller counties were below the national average. Berkeley reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,403). McCormick reported the lowest average weekly wage ($821) in the state.

Among all 46 South Carolina counties, 6 reported average weekly wages of less than $925, 18 registered wages from $925 to $1,049, 9 had wages from $1,050 to $1,174, and 13 had average weekly wages of $1,175 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

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Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in South Carolina, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages news release for second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest counties in South Carolina, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 -- 1,247 37 4.4 12

Charleston

23.3 280.7 2.3 11 1,412 144 5.3 44

Greenville

20.9 300.3 2.0 22 1,294 212 4.7 71

Horry

13.0 142.9 0.2 189 942 369 3.9 121

Lexington

9.1 132.6 0.4 167 1,106 337 4.9 65

Richland

13.1 228.7 1.4 48 1,284 219 3.5 153

Spartanburg

8.7 158.6 2.1 16 1,187 290 2.9 217

York

9.4 105.3 1.2 66 1,268 228 3.0 207

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in South Carolina, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

South Carolina

198,693 2,304,873 1,247

Abbeville

451 5,654 953

Aiken

3,996 66,596 1,258

Allendale

181 2,521 1,078

Anderson

4,705 73,188 1,032

Bamberg

319 3,569 896

Barnwell

437 4,734 878

Beaufort

8,050 71,145 1,097

Berkeley

5,488 69,789 1,403

Calhoun

298 4,547 1,311

Charleston

23,329 280,706 1,412

Cherokee

1,024 18,764 930

Chester

691 10,547 1,179

Chesterfield

800 13,980 967

Clarendon

660 6,651 829

Colleton

948 10,091 924

Darlington

1,281 19,700 1,226

Dillon

529 9,548 838

Dorchester

3,745 41,765 1,068

Edgefield

470 6,071 1,042

Fairfield

443 6,364 1,222

Florence

3,800 69,725 1,067

Georgetown

2,480 24,634 1,059

Greenville

20,942 300,313 1,294

Greenwood

1,638 27,807 1,083

Hampton

427 4,694 986

Horry

12,990 142,907 942

Jasper

989 11,008 1,041

Kershaw

1,610 18,452 955

Lancaster

2,360 28,896 1,356

Laurens

1,080 20,460 1,043

Lee

313 3,560 958

Lexington

9,142 132,604 1,106

McCormick

303 1,930 821

Marion

474 7,081 928

Marlboro

337 5,747 1,078

Newberry

959 14,381 981

Oconee

2,084 25,633 1,189

Orangeburg

1,897 27,022 943

Pickens

3,042 40,632 1,062

Richland

13,115 228,691 1,284

Saluda

306 4,476 975

Spartanburg

8,650 158,581 1,187

Sumter

2,362 35,141 1,034

Union

496 7,355 945

Williamsburg

665 6,543 954

York

9,437 105,293 1,268

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 (3) 3.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 (3) 2.7 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025