2026 Tax Year · Single Filer · South Carolina

$21 an Hour in South Carolina — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)

At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and South Carolina state income tax, your take-home pay is $17.07/hr. In South Carolina's low cost-of-living environment, this is enough to get by in South Carolina, though budget carefully.

Gross Annual
$43,680
Net Annual
$35,512
Net Monthly
$2,959
Net Hourly
$17.07

Pay Period Breakdown

Period Gross Tax Net
Hourly $21.00 $3.93 $17.07
Daily (8 hrs) $168.00 $31.42 $136.58
Weekly (40 hrs) $840.00 $157.08 $682.92
Biweekly $1,680.00 $314.16 $1,365.84
Monthly $3,640.00 $680.69 $2,959.31
Annual $43,680 $8,168 $35,512

Full Tax Breakdown — South Carolina, Single Filer

Item Rate / Notes Amount
Gross Annual Income $21/hr × 2,080 hrs $43,680
Federal Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
Federal Taxable Income $27,580
Federal Income Tax 7.0% −$3,061.60
Social Security (6.2%) up to $168,600 −$2,708.16
Medicare (1.45%) −$633.36
South Carolina Standard Deduction Single 2026 −$16,100
South Carolina State Income Tax 4.0% −$1,765.12
Total Tax 18.7% effective −$8,168.24
Net Take-Home $35,512

How Does South Carolina Compare?

See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:

State State Tax Net Monthly Net Annual
California $921.58 $3,030/mo $36,355 Florida None $3,106/mo $37,277 New York $1,657.13 $2,968/mo $35,620 Texas None $3,106/mo $37,277 Washington None $3,106/mo $37,277
Open Full Calculator for South Carolina — $21/hr →

Equivalent Annual Salary Pages

$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:

$43,680 salary in South Carolina — full breakdown $43,680 after tax in South Carolina $43,680 salary to hourly South Carolina paycheck calculator

Adjacent Rates in South Carolina

$18/hr in South Carolina$19/hr in South Carolina$20/hr in South Carolina$22/hr in South Carolina$23/hr in South Carolina$24/hr in South Carolina

Same Rate, Other States

$21/hr in Alabama$21/hr in Alaska$21/hr in Arizona$21/hr in Arkansas$21/hr in California$21/hr in Colorado

Cost of Living in South Carolina

⚠ Tight — $21/hr is borderline in South Carolina
  • Avg 1BR rent in Charleston: $1,050/mo — within budget (29% of gross monthly)
  • Minimum comfortable income in South Carolina: $36,000/yr
  • Your net annual: $35,512 ($488 below comfortable threshold)
  • Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$24.5/hr

Working at $21/hr in South Carolina

This is a solid income in South Carolina. The manufacturing sector creates real mid-wage employment. Charleston and Greenville have grown significantly, with improving amenities at reasonable costs relative to similar-sized coastal cities.

At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 62 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Charleston (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's within the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 2.9x South Carolina's federal minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in South Carolina is 18.7% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6%, and South Carolina state tax 4.0%.

South Carolina has attracted significant manufacturing investment — BMW, Volvo, Boeing, and Mercedes-Benz Vans all have major facilities here. Charleston's port is growing rapidly. The state also has significant tourism and healthcare sectors.

South Carolina has a flat 6.4% income tax rate (reduced from a graduated system). The state mirrors the federal standard deduction.

South Carolina follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.

Monthly Budget on $21/hr in South Carolina

Based on $2,959/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for South Carolina's cost of living.

Category Monthly Annual % of Net
Rent / Housing $1,050 $12,600 35.5%
Food (groceries + dining) $355 $4,260 12.0%
Transportation $296 $3,552 10.0%
Utilities $178 $2,136 6.0%
Healthcare $148 $1,776 5.0%
Entertainment $148 $1,776 5.0%
Savings (10% target) $296 $3,552 10.0%
Remaining / Surplus $488 $5,856 16.5%

Overtime Pay — $21/hr in South Carolina

At time-and-a-half ($31.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in South Carolina. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~19.9%.

Extra Hours/Week OT Gross/Week Net/Week (est.) Added Net/Year
5 hrs/week $158 $126 $6,300
10 hrs/week $315 $252 $12,600
20 hrs/week $630 $505 $25,250

Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr

How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $17.07 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.

Purchase Price Gross Hours Net Hours
Tank of gas (12 gal) $50 2.4 hrs 3 hrs
Week of groceries $120 5.8 hrs 7.1 hrs
iPhone 16 (base) $799 38.1 hrs 46.8 hrs
1 month rent (Charleston) $1,050 50 hrs 61.6 hrs
Used car ($10k) $10,000 476.2 hrs 585.8 hrs
Median new car ($48k) $48,000 2285.8 hrs 2811.5 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

21 an hour -- is it a good wage in South Carolina?

21/hr in South Carolina gives you $35,512/year after taxes -- enough to get by in South Carolina, though budget carefully. Avg 1BR rent in Charleston: $1,050/month (within the 30% rule).

What is 21 an hour after taxes in South Carolina?

21/hr in South Carolina = $35,512/year or $2,959/month net. Effective rate: 18.7%.

How does 21/hr go further -- South Carolina or Texas?

21/hr in South Carolina has similar purchasing power to ~24.5/hr in Texas.

What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in South Carolina?

On $2,959/month in South Carolina: rent $1,050, food $355, transport $296, savings $296, surplus ~$488.

How much does overtime add at 21/hr in South Carolina?

At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,300/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$12,600/year.