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What does a Civil Engineers salary really buy you in South Carolina?
South Carolina is 6.4% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
South Carolina's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 93.6, meaning prices are 6.4% lower the national average. A Civil Engineers earning $101,600 in South Carolina has the equivalent purchasing power of $108,547 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $67,950 | $72,596 | +$4,646 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $80,360 | $85,854 | +$5,494 |
| Median (P50) | $101,600 | $108,547 | +$6,947 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $131,550 | $140,544 | +$8,994 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $156,380 | $167,072 | +$10,692 |
A Civil Engineers in South Carolina earns $101,600 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 7% further — like earning $108,547 in an average-cost state. This makes South Carolina one of the best value states for this occupation.
With an RPP of 93.6, South Carolina is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Civil Engineers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After applying South Carolina's RPP, the $101,600 median salary translates to $108,547 in real terms — a 6.8% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Civil Engineers.
South Carolina sits at #13 of 51 states for Civil Engineers COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Civil Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
South Carolina ranks #13 out of 51 states for Civil Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Civil Engineers take-home pay in South Carolina after taxes →
A Civil Engineers in South Carolina earns a median salary of $101,600 per year. After adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living (RPP=93.6), the real purchasing power is $108,547 — a +6.8% difference.
South Carolina's cost of living is 6.4% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for South Carolina is 93.6 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Civil Engineers in South Carolina: $101,600 x (100 / 93.6) = $108,547. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Civil Engineers in South Carolina enjoys 6.8% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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