Physician assistant salary in the Charleston area
For physician assistants, the BLS May 2025 row in Charleston-North Charleston, SC lists a $123,350 mean annual employee wage and a $128,920 median. These are wage estimates, not a promised offer or total compensation.
Charleston area wage snapshot
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage | $123,350 |
| Median annual wage | $128,920 |
| Employment estimate | 620 |
| Wage relative standard error | 2.1% |
Employee wages annualized at 2,080 hours. Not total compensation, guaranteed pay or a salary range. RSE measures estimate uncertainty, not your pay spread.
View official BLS wage data for this areaWhat the Charleston area row can tell you
BLS covers Charleston-North Charleston, SC as one metropolitan area. The published mean is $123,350, which is below the median of $128,920; BLS does not say why. The employment estimate of 620 counts employee jobs, not open positions. The wage relative standard error is 2.1%, which describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile.
The South Carolina state mean for physician assistants is $120,720, so this metro mean is 2.2% above the state figure. The metro is part of the state estimate, so the two overlap.
Metro figures cover wage and salary employees only. Locum, 1099 and per diem pay can look very different, and benefits, call pay and bonuses are not included. Compare a written offer on hours, scope and benefits instead of reading these two wages as a salary range.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. How Saile salary pages work.
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How Charleston compares
Rank within this role group
Mean wage rank: 43 of 50; employment rank: 38 of 50. Rank = one plus metros with a larger estimate; ties share rank. This site’s group, not all US metros.
Versus highest-mean New York City ($163,570): $40,220 (24.6%) below; versus lowest-mean Birmingham ($108,080): $15,270 (14.1%) above.
Dollar gap = metro mean minus comparator mean; percent = difference divided by comparator, times 100. Absolute gaps shown.
National comparison
BLS OEWS national mean: $141,280; Charleston is $17,930 (12.7%) below it, using the same gap formulas.
Same-state context
This is the only metro in this role group mapped to South Carolina; see the South Carolina state pay page.
South Carolina mean: $120,720; employment: 2,250. Metro share = 620 divided by 2,250, multiplied by 100 = 27.6%. Overlapping estimates; multi-state ratios are not resident shares.
Same metro, other roles
Family medicine physician mean in Charleston: $256,810; Internal medicine physician mean in Charleston: $340,400; Nurse practitioner mean in Charleston: $126,750
What to check before using this number
The $128,920 median exceeds the mean by $5,570; neither measure defines your contract.
Wage RSE is 2.1%, lower than the group's 2.3% median; it measures uncertainty, not a pay percentile.
Against 945 at the group median, Charleston reports 620 employee jobs, a smaller estimate, not openings.
Mean–median = mean minus median. Group median = middle sorted value (average of middle pair); unavailable RSE excluded.
Licensing in South Carolina: physician state licensing guidance; PA Compact guidance. Check the relevant board and facility for your role.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metro/state rows; wages, not total compensation.
Physician assistant salary questions in the Charleston area
What is the average physician assistant salary in the Charleston area?
BLS May 2025 estimates a mean annual employee wage of $123,350 and a median of $128,920 for physician assistants in Charleston-North Charleston, SC. The mean is the average; the median is the midpoint. These are employee wages, not total compensation, a guaranteed offer or a salary range.
What is the hourly pay equivalent in the Charleston area?
Dividing the annual wage estimates by 2,080 hours gives about $59.30 per hour for the mean and $61.98 for the median, rounded to cents. This is an arithmetic equivalent, not a quoted locums, per-diem or telemedicine rate.
How many physician assistants work in the Charleston area?
BLS estimates 620 physician assistants employed as wage and salary employees in Charleston-North Charleston, SC. This counts employee jobs, not open positions or current vacancies.
How does the Charleston area pay compare with South Carolina?
The South Carolina state mean for physician assistants is $120,720, so this metro mean is 2.2% above the state figure. The metro is part of the state estimate, so the two overlap.
How reliable is this metro estimate?
The wage relative standard error for this row is 2.1%. RSE describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile or a negotiating band.
Where does Charleston rank for physician assistant mean wages?
Charleston ranks 43 of 50 by mean wage and 38 of 50 by employment in this site's role group. Rank = one plus metros with larger estimates; ties share rank. This is not every US metro.
Which other South Carolina metros can I compare with Charleston?
Charleston is the only metro in this site's role group mapped to South Carolina. The linked state page reports a $120,720 mean; a single listed metro does not mean the state has no other labor markets.
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