UX Designer Salary in North Charleston, SC: Median $46,577 in 2026
North Charleston (SC) · COL index 95 · Unemployment 4.0% · Metro pop 118,000 · Rank #164 of 283 for UX Designer salary
A UX Designer in North Charleston earns an estimated median of $46,577 per year. That figure starts from the South Carolina state-level BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median[1]($45,830) and scales it by North Charleston's composite cost-of-living index of 95 (US = 100). The 10th percentile comes in around $25,438; the 90th percentile reaches $90,044. After federal, South Carolina state, and FICA taxes, a single-filer UX Designer takes home approximately $38,570/year — about $3,214/month or $1,483 every other week.
Compared to the national UX Designer median of $99,180, North Charleston pays -53.0%. Relative to the North Charleston median household income of $52,200, a UX Designersalary runs -10.8%. Local unemployment is 4.0%[3], with an estimated 10 annual UX Designer openings inferred from metro population share and national employment (195,800).
UX Designer Snapshot — North Charleston (2026)
Every row cites a primary public dataset. Rent + home values use Zillow where the metro is in the ZHVI/ZORI coverage set; otherwise ACS + census tract fallbacks.
| Metric | North Charleston | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UX Designer median salary | $46,577 | $99,180 | [1] |
| 10th percentile | $25,438 | $73,560 | [1] |
| 90th percentile | $90,044 | $168,390 | [1] |
| Annual take-home (single filer) | $38,570 | — | [8][10] |
| Median home value (ZHVI) | $295,000 | — | [5] |
| Median rent (ZORI) | $1,300/mo | — | [5] |
| HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR) | $1,200/mo | — | [6] |
| Median household income (ACS) | $52,200 | — | [7] |
| Cost-of-living index | 95.0 | 100.0 | [4] |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | — | [3] |
How UX Designer Salaries Work in North Charleston
City-level wages aren't published directly by BLS for most SOC codes. We build them by anchoring to the South Carolina state-level OEWS median ($45,830) and scaling by North Charleston's composite cost-of-living index (95)[1][4]. That index combines Census ACS rent, Zillow ZHVI, BLS CPI, and AdvisorSmith / ApartmentAdvisor inputs to produce one number per metro. When BLS publishes a separate metro-level wage (MSA-level OEWS), that takes priority — a handful of large metros including New York, LA, Chicago, and DC have this coverage.
On top of the gross wage, the standard US payroll stack applies: federal income tax using 2025 IRS brackets and the $15,000 single standard deduction[8], FICA (Social Security 6.2% up to $176,100 wage base + Medicare 1.45%)[9], and South Carolina state income tax at a 2.1% effective rate ($983/yr on the $46,577 median)[10].
North Charleston also sits inside a larger metro labor market where commute patterns, remote-work policies, and adjacent-metro wages compete. Near-national unemployment means a balanced market — employers and candidates negotiate from roughly equal positions. Median household income in the metro is $52,200, which frames what "a good UX Designer salary" means locally: a $$46,577 wage pays about 89% of the median household income on a single earner.
The deterministic identity: take_home = gross − federal − state − FICA − pre_tax. All math runs client-side; nothing is sent to our servers.
UX Designer Salary & Cost-of-Living Context — North Charleston
Buy vs rent in North Charleston
Monthly PITI on the $295,000 median home in North Charleston is ~$2,016/mo — vs a $1,300/mo median rent. Rent burden on median household income is 29.9%, which falls within the recommended 30% guideline for housing costs.
Cost of Living Breakdown — North Charleston
Estimated annual expense shares on a $38,570 take-home, using BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey baseline shares scaled to North Charleston's COL index of 95. Housing uses the actual median rent.
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares[1], scaled by North Charleston's COL index of 95[4]. Housing uses actual median rent of $1,300/month.
Salary vs Housing Affordability in North Charleston
Renting
Buying
At $3,214/mo take-home, the 30% rent rule caps housing at $964/mo. North Charleston's typical 1–2BR rent runs $1,300/mo[5] (HUD 2BR FMR: $1,200/mo), making rent tight but manageable on a median UX Designer salary. For homebuyers, the 6.3× price-to-income ratio is workable with a strong credit profile and manageable other debts.
How North Charleston Stacks Up for UX Designers
Against 283 major US cities: North Charleston ranks #164 for nominal UX Designer salary, #178 for rent affordability, and #121 for overall purchasing power. High cost of living absorbs much of North Charleston's nominal wage premium. UX Designers here often trade pay for lifestyle, proximity to employers, or family roots — consider nearby metros on a salary-to-COL basis.
Nearby Cities — UX Designer Salary Comparison
North Charleston's closest metros, scaled by each city's cost-of-living index. Useful for relocation decisions where commute or remote-work policies allow a neighboring metro trade-off.
| City | Est. salary | COL | Rent | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston, SC ★ | $46,577 | 95 | $1,300 | — |
| Charleston, SC | $112,073 | 113 | $1,917 | +140.6% |
| Columbia, SC | $88,270 | 89 | $1,050 | +89.5% |
| Greenville, SC | $95,213 | 96 | $1,300 | +104.4% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $95,213 | 96 | $1,350 | +104.4% |
| Rock Hill, SC | $90,254 | 91 | $1,200 | +93.8% |
UX Designer Job Market in North Charleston
North Charleston has an estimated 10 annual UX Designeropenings, extrapolated from the metro's share of 195,800 national UX Designers[1]. The 4.0% unemployment rate[3] is near the national average, with steady turnover across most sectors.
About the profession: UX designers research user needs and create intuitive product interfaces. The field blends design and tech, and many professionals work as contractors or freelancers. Typical entry requirement: bachelor's degree. Projected growth through 2034: 8%[2].
Career Progression & Related Professions in North Charleston
Early-career UX Designers in North Charleston start around $25,438, reach the city median ($46,577) after 4–8 years, and hit 90th-percentile territory ($90,044) at senior / specialized levels.
Related creative professions in North Charleston
Calculators for UX Designers in North Charleston
Other professions in North Charleston
Frequently Asked Questions — UX Designer in North Charleston
How much does a UX Designer make in North Charleston, SC?
The estimated median salary for a UX Designer in North Charleston is $46,577/year, scaled from the BLS OEWS South Carolina state median ($45,830) by North Charleston's composite cost-of-living index of 95 (US = 100). After federal, South Carolina state, and FICA taxes, take-home is approximately $38,570/year or $3,214/month.
Can a UX Designer afford to live in North Charleston?
On $3,214/month take-home, the 30% rent rule affords $964/month. North Charleston's Zillow ZORI median rent is $1,300/mo, HUD's 2BR Fair Market Rent is $1,200/mo. The rent-to-income ratio works out to 33.5%, making housing tight but manageable for a UX Designer at the local median. Home-buyers face 6.3× price-to-income, needing roughly 6.3 years to save a 20% down payment at a 20% savings rate.
How much tax does a UX Designer pay in North Charleston?
On $46,577 gross, a UX Designer in North Charleston pays approximately $3,461 in federal income tax (7.4% effective), $983 in South Carolina state income tax (2.1% effective), and $3,563 in FICA (Social Security + Medicare). Total effective rate: 17.2%. Some South Carolina cities levy local income taxes in addition; check your municipal DoR before filing.
How does North Charleston rank for UX Designer salaries vs other cities?
North Charleston ranks #164 out of 283 tracked metros for nominal UX Designer salary, #178 for rent affordability (rent-to-income), and #121 for purchasing power (salary ÷ COL). The high-purchasing-power cities tend to be mid-size metros with strong local employers and moderate housing costs; the low-ranked cities trade high nominal pay for steep rents.
What is the cost-of-living breakdown for a UX Designer in North Charleston?
On $38,570 take-home, a reasonable baseline budget for North Charleston looks like: housing $15,600/yr (40.4%); food $4,489/yr; transportation $3,780/yr; healthcare $2,659/yr; utilities $1,880/yr; savings + discretionary $10,162/yr. Numbers use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled to North Charleston's COL index of 95 and the city's actual median rent.
What's the UX Designer job market like in North Charleston?
North Charleston's unemployment rate is 4.0% across the metro of 118,000. Estimated annual UX Designer openings: ~10 (extrapolated from 195,800 nationally employed and the metro's population share). The market is near national averages with steady turnover.
Do North Charleston employers pay above or below the South Carolina median for UX Designers?
Not consistently — North Charleston's estimated UX Designer median of $46,577 is 53.0% below the national median. The trade-off is usually lower rents and (in some cases) lower state taxes, which can leave real purchasing power competitive.
Methodology — How we compute this page
Wage estimate. The North Charleston median is derived from the South Carolina state-level BLS OEWS median ($45,830), scaled by North Charleston's composite cost-of-living index of 95. When BLS publishes a direct MSA-level wage for the occupation, that takes priority over the scaled state median. Percentile bands inherit the same scale factor.
Housing + rent. Median home value uses Zillow ZHVI; median rent prefers Zillow ZORI and falls back to Census ACS median gross rent. HUD Fair Market Rents (50th-percentile 2BR) are shown where HUD publishes the metro. Price-to-income and rent-to-income ratios use the estimated UX Designermedian (not the city's overall median household income) — to reflect the specific role-vs-city affordability picture.
Tax math. Federal tax uses 2025 IRS brackets and the $15,000 single standard deduction. FICA is Social Security 6.2% up to the $176,100 wage base + Medicare 1.45% (+ 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000). State tax uses South Carolina's 2026 brackets from the state DoR (mirrored via Tax Foundation where the DoR's publication is paywalled or split). Local income taxes (e.g. NYC, Portland-OR supplemental, OH municipal) are NOT included — check your municipal authority for specifics.
Cost of living. The 95index is the composite used by CalcFi's /data/cities.ts, which merges Census ACS, BLS CPI shelter, Zillow ZORI, and commercial COL estimators. The COL-adjusted salary on this page assumes the statewide RPP = 93.5(BEA) approximates the state's purchasing power; cities are then scaled relative to that.
Refresh cadence. BLS OEWS releases annually (typically March); BEA RPP releases annually in December; IRS brackets adjust in October; Zillow ZHVI/ZORI updates monthly; HUD FMR publishes annually in August for the upcoming fiscal year. The dateModified shown above auto-bumps to the most recent retrievedAt on any sourced value the page consumes.
Known limits. Metro-level OEWS coverage is partial — only ~50 large MSAs have separately published occupation wages; the rest inherit state-level estimates scaled by COL. Rent and home data may trail the real-time market by 1–3 months (Zillow) or 8–12 months (ACS). Rankings are capped to the city set in our dataset (283 metros), not every incorporated US city.
Sources
Every number on this page cites a primary public dataset. Last reviewed (auto-bumped on the next ISR refresh after an ETL run).
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Employment Projections — 2024–34 occupational growth rates — www.bls.gov/emp. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics — metro-level unemployment rate — www.bls.gov/lau. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (state + metro) — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (home value index) + ZORI (observed rent index) — www.zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- HUD Fair Market Rents — 50th-percentile 2-bedroom FY — www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, metro level — www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Internal Revenue Service — Federal individual income tax brackets and standard deductions — www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Social Security Administration — OASDI / Medicare contribution and wage-base rules — www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- South Carolina Department of Revenue — 2026 individual income tax brackets (accessed via Tax Foundation mirror) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
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