Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Materials Engineers actually take home in South Carolina?
Progressive (up to 6.4%) — 28.9% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Materials Engineers earning $121,610 in South Carolina (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $121,610 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$18,724 | 15.4% |
| South Carolina State Income Tax | -$7,090 | 5.8% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,539 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,763 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$35,118 | 28.9% |
| Take-Home Pay | $86,491 | 71.1% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Materials Engineers in South Carolina.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $75,550 | -$18,383 | $57,166 | 24.3% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $92,240 | -$24,400 | $67,839 | 26.5% |
| Median (P50) | $121,610 | -$35,118 | $86,491 | 28.9% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $131,080 | -$38,721 | $92,358 | 29.5% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $158,940 | -$49,322 | $109,617 | 31.0% |
After federal income tax ($18,724), state tax ($7,090), and FICA ($9,303), a Materials Engineers in South Carolina takes home $86,491 per year — or $7,207 per month. The effective tax rate of 28.9% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Materials Engineers in South Carolina loses 28.9% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $121,610 gross, $86,492 lands in the paycheck after federal ($18,725), state ($7,090), and FICA ($9,303) withholding.
South Carolina uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Materials Engineers salary the state tax works out to $7,090 (5.8% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Materials Engineers salary is $18,725 (53%), but combined state ($7,090, 20%) + FICA ($9,303, 26%) make up the other 47% of the bill.
The state-tax gap is substantial: a Materials Engineers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state would net about $93,582 — an extra $7,090 (8.2%) annually compared with South Carolina.
South Carolina ranks #14 of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $86,492 net/year works out to $7,208/month or $3,327/bi-weekly for this Materials Engineers in South Carolina — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Materials Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
South Carolina ranks #14 out of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Materials Engineers in South Carolina earning a median salary of $121,610 will take home approximately $86,491 per year after federal income tax ($18,724), state income tax ($7,090), and FICA ($9,303). That is $7,207 per month or $3,326 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Materials Engineers in South Carolina is 28.9%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.4%, South Carolina state tax 5.8%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
South Carolina has a progressive (up to 6.4%). On a Materials Engineers's median salary of $121,610, the state income tax amounts to $7,090 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.8%.
After all taxes, a Materials Engineers in South Carolina takes home approximately $7,207 per month, or about $41.58 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $121,610 for Materials Engineers in South Carolina, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), South Carolina state income tax (progressive (up to 6.4%)), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $86,491/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR