Janitorial Wages in South Carolina

BLS data for May 2024 shows South Carolina janitors earning a statewide median of $14.99/hr, among the lowest rates in the Southeast. The state has never enacted its own minimum wage law. Federal $7.25/hr applies by default, but the market already prices entry work near $10.75/hr (10th percentile), leaving the statutory floor irrelevant for bid math. Right-to-work status and zero union density mean wages move on contractor competition alone, with no premium layer in any metro.

What employers should plan for

• Floor: $7.25/hr federal minimum wage (no state statute). South Carolina has never enacted a state minimum wage law; employers of all sizes default to FLSA.
• Local floors: No South Carolina city or county has enacted a local minimum wage ordinance. Charleston and Columbia do not have municipal minimum wage laws applicable to private employers.
• Loaded labor rate: Commercial cleaning bids in South Carolina typically run $21–$27/hr total loaded cost (base wage + ~8% payroll taxes + workers' comp ~$2.00–$2.50/$100 + general liability + overhead + margin). Entry-level rural bids can start near $20; Charleston/Columbia institutional bids approach $27.
• Workers' comp class 9014 — South Carolina NCCI jurisdiction; estimated base rate approximately $2.00–$2.50/$100 payroll for commercial janitorial contractors (South Carolina has historically maintained moderate WC rates).

High-wage metros vs. low-wage metros

Charleston-North Charleston MSA leads the state, driven by a rapidly growing commercial real estate market, the Boeing/defense contractor supply chain, and a port economy that tightens lower-wage labor markets. BLS May 2024 Columbia MSA data shows the building and grounds cleaning group averaging $16.71/hr, suggesting Charleston's janitorial market runs similarly at an estimated $15.50–$16.00/hr for SOC 37-2011. Columbia MSA (capital, University of South Carolina, Fort Jackson) comes in close behind with the state's largest government and healthcare employer base supporting mid-range wages. At the lower end, Florence MSA and the Myrtle Beach-Conway MSA reflect the wage suppression of agricultural-adjacent rural economies and seasonal hospitality markets respectively — estimated janitor wages running $13.00–$13.80/hr.

Wage percentile distribution (BLS OEWS 2024)

• 10th percentile: $10.75/hr
• 25th percentile: $12.78/hr
• Median (50th): $14.99/hr
• 75th percentile: $17.20/hr
• 90th percentile: $19.41/hr

The $8.66/hr spread from 10th to 90th percentile reflects South Carolina's pronounced geographic and sector wage variation. The 10th percentile at $10.75/hr — $3.50 above the federal minimum — confirms that market forces rather than the legal floor drive the wage floor in this state. The 90th percentile ceiling of $19.41/hr is among the lower top-end limits in the Southeast, reflecting the absence of union-premium contracts.

Union presence

South Carolina is one of the nation's most union-sparse right-to-work states, with private-sector union density approximately 2–3%. SEIU 32BJ — the dominant property services union nationally — has no commercial cleaning presence in South Carolina and has not attempted to organize in this market. No SEIU USWW locals operate in the state. The commercial cleaning sector is entirely non-union; wages are set purely by market competition among contractors.

What this means for bid math

South Carolina offers some of the lowest total loaded labor costs in the Southeast. With a $14.99/hr median, a 1.55–1.75× loaded rate multiplier, and moderate workers' comp costs, commercial cleaning contracts can be priced at $22–$25/hr total loaded for standard office work. Charleston contracts command a premium at $25–$28/hr. Multi-year contracts should assume modest annual wage growth of 3–4% given the tight labor markets in Charleston and Columbia. The $7.25/hr federal minimum is not a binding constraint for any full-time commercial cleaner in this market — all placements at or above the 10th percentile ($10.75/hr) are already well above the legal floor.

Primary sources

• O*NET Local Wages — South Carolina (BLS 2024 data)
• BLS OEWS May 2025 — Columbia, SC MSA
• DOL WHD State Minimum Wage Laws
• LaborLawCenter — 2026 State Minimum Wage Rates