Trades

Plumber Salary in South Carolina (2026)

The average Plumber in South Carolina earns around $72,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $56,319/year ($4,693/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$56,319
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$4,693
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$2,166
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$27/hr
Federal Tax
$7,010
State Tax
$3,163
FICA Taxes
$5,508
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

21.78%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Want to model 401(k), HSA, or pre-tax contributions against your full salary? Open the salary calculator

Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator

1099 contract work or side gigs? Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top. Open the 1099 tax calculator

Key terms:···

Plumber Salary Ranges in South Carolina

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$52,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$72,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$115,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Plumbers earn the same — not even close

South Carolina's plumber market is anchored by UA Plumbers + Pipefitters Local 614 Charleston (~1,500 members, the largest UA local in SC), UA Local 421 Greenville (Upstate SC), UA Local 188 Columbia, substantial commercial + industrial mechanical contractor work for BMW Spartanburg cleanroom + paint shop + Boeing 787 Charleston aerospace facilities + Volvo Cars + Mercedes-Benz Vans + Bosch + Savannah River Site Aiken nuclear facilities + Charleston port + healthcare construction, plus Brasfield & Gorrie + Hoar Construction + Skanska SC + JE Dunn SC commercial mechanical builds.

Senior Journeyman Plumber (UA Local 614)

$82,000–$118,000

Senior journeyman at UA Charleston/Greenville/Columbia · commercial + industrial · pre-OT band

Senior Journeyman with OT (OBBBA)

$98,000–$148,000+ OT

Journeyman with substantial OT · 2025-2028 OBBBA $12,500 single / $25,000 MFJ deduction

Senior Foreman / General Foreman

$108,000–$155,000

UA Local 614/421/188 foreman + general foreman · multi-crew supervision · field leadership band

Senior Service / Maintenance Plumber

$72,000–$108,000

Commercial service + MUSC + Prisma + Roper maintenance · 24/7 on-call premium

Senior Industrial Plumber (BMW / Boeing)

$92,000–$135,000

BMW Spartanburg cleanroom + paint · Boeing 787 Charleston · stainless + cGMP specialty

Senior Medical Gas Plumber (Hospital)

$92,000–$135,000

MUSC + Prisma + Roper hospital medical gas · NFPA 99 + ASSE 6010 credential premium

Senior Process Plumber (Paper Mill / SRS)

$95,000–$140,000

Domtar + WestRock paper · SRS nuclear · process piping + food-grade + nuclear-grade specialty

Senior Project Manager (Mechanical)

$108,000–$165,000

Mechanical contractor PM · UA-signatory commercial + industrial scale · field-to-office

Mid-Career Journeyman (5-10 yrs)

$72,000–$98,000

Mid-career UA journeyman · transitioning to foreman track

Apprentice / Pre-Journeyman (0-5 yrs)

$38,000–$68,000

UA Local 614/421/188 5-year apprenticeship · graduated wage scale to journeyman band

Worth knowing: South Carolina's RTW since 1954 (one of the original RTW states) substantially affects UA plumber market dynamics in SC and is a feature most national trade-career surveys understate. SC RTW + ~2.5% union density (one of the country's lowest) means UA Local 614 Charleston + UA Local 421 Greenville + UA Local 188 Columbia operate in a market where non-union open-shop plumbing contractors hold substantial market share — UA Locals retain commercial + industrial + cleared federal market presence but residential + smaller commercial work is predominantly non-union. SC's substantial post-2009 manufacturing buildout (BMW Spartanburg + Boeing 787 Charleston + Volvo Charleston + Mercedes-Benz Vans + Bosch + Michelin + tier-1/2 suppliers) created substantial post-2009 industrial plumbing demand supporting senior industrial plumbers at $92-135K TC across cleanroom + paint shop + process piping work. Savannah River Site Aiken (~10K cleared DOE workforce at the National Nuclear Security Administration's facility) supports substantial nuclear-grade process plumbing work — Q-cleared plumbers at SRS earn for classified nuclear work. The Charleston port + Port of Charleston Harbor Deepening project supports marine + industrial plumbing demand. The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies to SC plumber OT premium pay for tax years 2025-2028. SC's 6.5% top bracket has limited impact on most journeyman comp.

Calculate Your Exact Take-Home Pay

Add 401(k) contributions, HSA, dependents, and more to see your personalized take-home.

Open Full Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about your taxes and our calculator.

Compare Two States

See how income tax, take-home pay, and total tax burden differ between any two US states side by side.

State 1

State 2

Plumber Salary in Other States

More on South Carolina