City of Charleston salaries

Q: Is the pay good at City of Charleston?

No, the pay is not good at City of Charleston. Compared to the industry average of $42,921 per year, the average annual salary at City of Charleston is $34,824, which is 18.87% lower.

Q: What is the starting pay at City of Charleston?

The starting pay at City of Charleston is $22,000 per year, or $10.58 per hour.

Q: How much does City of Charleston pay an hour?

City of Charleston pays $16.74 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 3.9

City of Charleston salary estimate

$16.74hourly

$34,824 yearly

Entry-level salary

$22,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

City of Charleston Salaries

The City of Charleston offers a wide range of salaries that reflect the varying demands and responsibilities of different roles. The overall average salary is $34,824, but this figure masks significant differences across job categories. For instance, leadership positions such as Director earn an average of $61,887, while Human Resources Analysts and Planners also enjoy competitive salaries of $61,613 and $60,567 respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum, entry-level roles like Food and Beverage Attendant average only $24,345, illustrating the disparities within the salary structure. Notably, the engineering department leads with the highest average salary at $54,005, while the finance department follows closely with $51,307. In contrast, the hospitality/service and retail departments report lower averages of $28,779 and $30,704.

Understanding these salary dynamics is crucial for potential applicants evaluating their career options. By comparing the City of Charleston’s salaries to competitors like City of Albuquerque and City of Boca Raton, which average $53,044 and $52,426 respectively, candidates can make informed decisions about their employment prospects.

Highest paying jobs at City of Charleston

The highest paying jobs at City of Charleston are director, human resources analyst, planner, and police officer. Director jobs at City of Charleston earn an average yearly salary of $61,887, City of Charleston human resources analyst jobs average $61,613, and City of Charleston planner jobs average $60,567.

The lowest paying City of Charleston roles include food and beverage attendant and gymnasium instructor. City of Charleston food and beverage attendant average salary is $24,345 per year. So while the average City of Charleston salary is $34,824 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at City of Charleston

Rank	Job title	Average City of Charleston salary	Hourly rate
1	Director	$61,887	$29.75
2	Human Resources Analyst	$61,613	$29.62
3	Planner	$60,567	$29.12
4	Police Officer	$60,268	$28.98
5	Program Coordinator	$57,559	$27.67
6	Construction Foreman	$55,000	$26.44
7	Supervisor	$48,622	$23.38
8	Master	$46,844	$22.52
9	Housing Inspector	$45,367	$21.81
10	Safety Inspector	$45,007	$21.64
11	Docket Clerk	$43,793	$21.05
12	Crew Leader	$41,535	$19.97
13	Patrolman	$40,395	$19.42
14	Parking Enforcement Officer	$40,182	$19.32
15	Dispatcher	$39,241	$18.87
16	Housing Specialist	$39,140	$18.82
17	Traffic Signal Technician	$39,066	$18.78
18	Heavy Duty Mechanic	$38,602	$18.56
19	Human Resources Coordinator	$38,527	$18.52
20	Equipment Operator	$37,101	$17.84

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City of Charleston salaries by department

Salaries at City of Charleston vary depending on the department you work in. City of Charleston salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $54,005. Employees in the finance department at City of Charleston receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $51,307 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at City of Charleston include the hospitality/service and the retail organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $28,779 and $30,704, respectively.

Average City of Charleston salary by department

Rank	Department	Average City of Charleston salary	Hourly rate
1	Engineering	$54,005	$25.96
2	Finance	$51,307	$24.67
3	IT	$50,736	$24.39
4	Healthcare	$50,598	$24.33
5	Legal	$48,464	$23.30
6	Human Resources	$48,051	$23.10
7	Construction	$42,062	$20.22
8	Accounting	$42,002	$20.19
9	Non Profit/Government	$40,523	$19.48
10	Customer Service	$37,348	$17.96
11	Plant/Manufacturing	$37,263	$17.91
12	Supply Chain	$36,954	$17.77
13	Marketing	$34,869	$16.76
14	Administrative	$34,731	$16.70
15	Facilities	$33,899	$16.30
16	Education	$30,923	$14.87
17	Warehouse	$30,851	$14.83
18	Retail	$30,704	$14.76
19	Hospitality/Service	$28,780	$13.84

How much does City of Charleston pay by department?

Best paying City of Charleston non profit/government salaries

Rank	Position	Average City of Charleston salary	Hourly rate
1	Police Officer	$60,268	$28.98
2	Program Coordinator	$57,559	$27.67
3	Programming Specialist	$48,515	$23.32
4	Fire Captain	$47,571	$22.87
5	Fire Fighter	$47,427	$22.80
6	Lieutenant	$45,380	$21.82
7	Patrolman	$40,395	$19.42
8	Parking Enforcement Officer	$40,182	$19.32
9	Police Cadet	$39,722	$19.10
10	Recreation Supervisor	$39,497	$18.99
11	Housing Specialist	$39,140	$18.82
12	Fireman	$39,027	$18.76
13	Crime Scene Investigator	$36,879	$17.73
14	Crew Chief	$36,381	$17.49
15	City Council Member	$36,380	$17.49
16	Service Worker	$35,794	$17.21
17	Case Manager	$34,954	$16.80
18	Resident Assistant	$27,389	$13.17
19	Recreation Leader	$27,230	$13.09

Best paying City of Charleston administrative salaries

Rank	Position	Average City of Charleston salary	Hourly rate
1	Contract Worker	$59,566	$28.64
2	Traffic Signal Technician	$39,066	$18.78
3	Records Specialist	$36,455	$17.53
4	Project Management Internship	$36,448	$17.52
5	Office Manager	$36,064	$17.34
6	Administrative Assistant	$34,561	$16.62
7	Document Management Technician	$33,822	$16.26
8	Legal Secretary	$32,188	$15.48
9	Clerk Typist	$32,099	$15.43
10	Administrative Clerk	$31,350	$15.07
11	Clerical Specialist	$30,765	$14.79
12	Staff Associate	$29,569	$14.22
13	Office Assistant	$27,985	$13.45
14	Receptionist Secretary	$27,352	$13.15

Best paying City of Charleston hospitality/service salaries

Rank	Position	Average City of Charleston salary	Hourly rate
1	Tour Coordinator	$47,445	$22.81
2	Fitness Instructor	$41,904	$20.15
3	Summer Camp Director	$35,235	$16.94
4	Recreation Coordinator	$33,517	$16.11
5	Tour Guide	$30,618	$14.72
6	Snack Bar Cook	$28,909	$13.90
7	Recreation Specialist	$28,627	$13.76
8	Food Service Worker	$27,435	$13.19
9	Camp Counselor	$26,880	$12.92
10	Concession Worker	$25,118	$12.08
11	Food And Beverage Attendant	$24,346	$11.70
12	Parking Lot Attendant	$24,325	$11.69

City of Charleston competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at City of Charleston competitors, like City of Albuquerque, City of Boca Raton, and Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, vary. City of Albuquerque employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $53,044. The average salary at City of Boca Raton is $52,426 per year, and the average salary at Gilbert Chamber of Commerce is $51,266 per year.

Highest paying City of Charleston competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	City of Albuquerque	4.2	$53,044
2	City of Boca Raton	4.4	$52,426
3	Gilbert Chamber of Commerce	3.4	$51,266
4	City of Lawrence	4.6	$50,903
5	City of Maple Heights	3.6	$50,899
6	City of Newton	4.4	$50,776
7	City of Newark	3.9	$49,994
8	Woodstock, Georgia	3.8	$45,734
9	Town of Little Elm	3.8	$41,987
10	North Charleston, South Carolina	3.9	$40,438
11	City of Gainesville	4.1	$40,436
12	City of Hickory	3.9	$38,862
13	City of Pittsfield, Illinois	3.5	$38,648
14	City of Portsmouth	4.0	$37,689
15	City of North Miami Beach	4.3	$37,385
16	City of Pasadena	4.4	$37,090
17	City of Renton	4.3	$36,573
18	City of Irving	4.2	$36,206
19	City of Long Beach	4.4	$35,576
20	Oakland Public Library	4.1	$32,495

Recently added City of Charleston salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Utility Department	Kane, IL	06/28/2025	$41,302
Ncic Operations Duty Officer	Charleston, SC	06/28/2025	$43,797
Mechanic	Kane, IL	06/28/2025	$41,302
WTP Operator	Kane, IL	06/28/2025	$41,302
Human Resource Specialist-Recruitment	Charleston, SC	06/28/2025	$48,185

Frequently asked questions about City of Charleston salaries

Is the pay good at City of Charleston?

What is the starting pay at City of Charleston?

How much does City of Charleston pay an hour?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of City of Charleston, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about City of Charleston. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at City of Charleston. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by City of Charleston. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of City of Charleston and its employees or that of Zippia.

City of Charleston may also be known as or be related to CITY OF CHARLESTON, City Of Charleston and City of Charleston.