BLS May 2025
Mechanic Salary in South Carolina
Mechanic pay in South Carolina lands 40th in the country, behind most states. For automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 median is $48,100 a year, $2,520 below the national median of $50,620, and 13,420 wage and salary jobs sit behind it. The wider gap is between trades: aircraft mechanics hit $75,160, 56 percent ahead of automotive technicians.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- 40th of 50 states on median pay for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), $48,100 against $50,620 nationally.
- $75,160 for aircraft mechanics, 56 percent ahead of automotive technicians.
- 5.8 per 1,000 jobs are technician jobs, 13,420 in all (location quotient 1.29).
Mechanic Employment 29 Percent Above the National Rate in South Carolina
Technician employment here is 5.8 per 1,000 jobs, a share 29 percent above the national one, a location quotient of 1.29. That puts South Carolina 5th among 50 states on concentration.
Among the trades, automotive technicians are the most concentrated, ahead of heavy equipment mechanics at 1.08.
Aircraft Mechanics Out-Earn Auto Mechanics by $27,060 in South Carolina
The top trade, aircraft mechanics, pays $75,160 with 1,660 jobs behind it, a $27,060 premium over automotive technicians ($48,100). Auto mechanics rank last of the 5 trades.
| Trade | South Carolina median | U.S. median | Rank of 50 | Jobs | Best metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $75,160 | $79,870 | 33rd | 1,660 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $81,690 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $59,330 | $61,770 | 36th | 3,360 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $61,000 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | $59,180 | $65,510 | 47th | 2,830 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, $66,420 |
| Collision Repair Technician | $53,290 | $54,890 | 23rd | 2,140 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $63,080 |
| Auto Mechanic | $48,100 | $50,620 | 40th | 13,420 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, $53,660 |
Aircraft mechanics ($75,160, -$4,710), diesel mechanics ($59,330, -$2,440) and heavy equipment mechanics ($59,180, -$6,330) fall short of their national medians.
Level with the nation: collision repair technicians ($53,290, -$1,600).
Heavy equipment mechanics rank 47th of 50 on $59,180, the softest of the trades here.
Charleston-North Charleston, SC is the best metro for aircraft mechanics here, at $81,690.
11 Ranked Mechanic Programs in South Carolina
South Carolina has 11 ranked programs at 9 schools: 8 automotive, 1 diesel, 1 collision repair and 1 aviation maintenance. The top scorer is Greenville Technical College in Greenville, SC at 62.2 out of 100 in collision repair.
Prices start at $4,546 per year, in-district (Trident Technical College, Charleston, SC) and reach $8,036 annually, in-district (York Technical College, Rock Hill, SC) across 11 priced programs.
1 ranked program is in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, where the median is $49,120.
- Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC, collision repair, score 62.2, #16 of 59
- Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC, automotive, score 58.5, #105 of 415
- Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC, diesel, score 57.9, #32 of 76
- Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC, automotive, score 54.7, #150 of 415
- Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC, automotive, score 46.4, #289 of 415
- Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC, automotive, score 46.2, #293 of 415
- Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC, automotive, score 41.9, #351 of 415
- Trident Technical College Charleston, SC, aviation maintenance, score 41.7, #123 of 148
- Central Carolina Technical College Sumter, SC, automotive, score 39.2, #378 of 415
- York Technical College Rock Hill, SC, automotive, score 37.3, #394 of 415
- Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg, SC, automotive, score 33.1, #407 of 415
Best Mechanic Schools in South Carolina lists all 11 with scores
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Leads Mechanic Pay in South Carolina
BLS prices 10 metropolitan areas in South Carolina. The three largest are Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at $53,660, Charleston-North Charleston, SC at $49,120 and Columbia, SC at $48,080, together 13,000 jobs; the biggest of them is $5,560 ahead of the $48,100 state median.
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC combines the most jobs with the top pay, $53,660; Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC sits $8,300 behind at $45,360 among areas with at least 500 jobs.
Away from the metros, 3 nonmetropolitan areas hold 9 percent of the state's jobs and every one pays less than the $48,100 median, from $43,680 to $45,400.
2 of the 10 areas, led by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, extend into NC and carry one figure for the whole area.
| Area | Median | Against South Carolina | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $53,660 | +$5,560 | $34,470 to $88,130 | 7,990 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $49,120 | +$1,020 | $34,880 to $79,480 | 2,510 |
| Columbia, SC | $48,080 | -$20 | $31,680 to $78,430 | 2,500 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $48,120 | +$20 | $32,810 to $76,580 | 2,310 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $48,730 | +$630 | $30,430 to $78,720 | 1,260 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $45,360 | -$2,740 | $30,430 to $74,600 | 1,040 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $48,610 | +$510 | $31,640 to $77,180 | 970 |
| Florence, SC | $46,130 | -$1,970 | $29,800 to $76,810 | 600 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $50,920 | +$2,820 | $31,220 to $81,370 | 560 |
| Sumter, SC | $46,500 | -$1,600 | $29,660 to $76,050 | 190 |
| Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $44,150 | -$3,950 | $29,230 to $79,610 | 460 |
| Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $43,680 | -$4,420 | $17,970 to $78,020 | 420 |
| Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $45,400 | -$2,700 | $28,880 to $74,320 | 320 |
A $2,520 Shortfall Against National Mechanic Salary in South Carolina
$31,200 at the 10th percentile is $3,460 less than the national figure and $78,030 at the 90th percentile is $3,760 less than the national figure. The $46,830 spread from the 10th percentile to the 90th lands within $300 of the national one.
| Measure | South Carolina | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $34,660 | -$3,460 |
| 25th percentile | $37,430 | $38,900 | -$1,470 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $48,100 | $50,620 | -$2,520 |
| 75th percentile | $63,610 | $70,430 | -$6,820 |
| 90th percentile | $78,030 | $81,790 | -$3,760 |
| Mean | $52,420 | $56,420 | -$4,000 |
| Wage and salary jobs | 13,420 | 704,640 |
Pay for the middle half runs $37,430 to $63,610, both below the national pair (-$1,470, -$6,820).
Mean pay of $52,420 sits $4,320 above the median, lifted by top earners.
The $31,200 at the 10th percentile is a point in the distribution, not a starting wage.
South Carolina Between North Carolina and Kansas on Mechanic Pay
North Carolina is the closest, at $48,200, $100 above; Kansas sits farther down at $47,790, $310 less.
21 states are within $2,500 of $48,100, and 9 of them within $1,000. Rank changes fast in this stretch.
Questions About Mechanic Salary in South Carolina
What is the average mechanic salary in South Carolina?
Half make more than $48,100 annually, or $23.12 an hour, which is $2,520 below the nation. At the bottom tenth it is $31,200, at the top tenth $78,030.
What is the pay gap between aircraft mechanics and auto mechanics in South Carolina?
A premium of $27,060: $75,160 for aircraft mechanics compared with $48,100 for auto mechanics in the OEWS count.
Which mechanic school in South Carolina ranks highest?
Greenville Technical College (Greenville, SC) leads: with 62.2 points, from 11 ranked programs.
The figures here are the Bureau of Labor Statistics median for wage and salary workers, so the mechanic salary in South Carolina for any one job depends on the employer, the metro area and the trade.
Sources for Mechanic Salary in South Carolina
- BLS OEWS, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics May 2025, read October 23, 2026.
- BLS OEWS technical notes Wage and salary workers only.