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What does a Materials 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 Materials Engineers earning $121,610 in South Carolina has the equivalent purchasing power of $129,925 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) | $75,550 | $80,715 | +$5,165 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $92,240 | $98,547 | +$6,307 |
| Median (P50) | $121,610 | $129,925 | +$8,315 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $131,080 | $140,042 | +$8,962 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $158,940 | $169,807 | +$10,867 |
A Materials Engineers in South Carolina earns $121,610 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 7% further — like earning $129,925 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 Materials 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 $121,610 median salary translates to $129,925 in real terms — a 6.8% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Materials Engineers.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Materials Engineers, South Carolina places #5 of 45 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Materials Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
South Carolina ranks #5 out of 45 states for Materials Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Materials Engineers take-home pay in South Carolina after taxes →
A Materials Engineers in South Carolina earns a median salary of $121,610 per year. After adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living (RPP=93.6), the real purchasing power is $129,925 — 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 Materials Engineers in South Carolina: $121,610 x (100 / 93.6) = $129,925. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Materials 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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