South Carolina Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How South Carolina taxes income

South Carolina taxes income progressively across 2 brackets, from 3.00% on the first dollars to 6.40% above $17,330.

The headline top rate is the number people quote, but it is not what most people pay. At $60,000 of taxable income the effective South Carolina rate is about 5.24%; at $150,000 it is 5.94%. Only income above $17,330 is taxed at the top rate.

One quirk worth flagging: South Carolina's top bracket starts at just $17,330, which is low enough that most full-time workers reach the highest rate. In practice the system behaves close to a flat tax of 6.40% for anyone earning a typical salary.

What actually reaches your account

To make it concrete: $50,000 gross leaves roughly $38,668 after federal, FICA and $2,507 of South Carolina tax; $80,000 gross leaves roughly $59,053 after federal, FICA and $4,427 of South Carolina tax; $120,000 gross leaves roughly $84,633 after federal, FICA and $6,987 of South Carolina tax. Single filer, standard deduction, no retirement contributions. Adding a 401(k) reduces state and federal tax together, so real take-home for a saver runs higher than shown.

Cost of living matters as much as the tax rate. South Carolina runs about 8% below the national average, so $80,000 here has the purchasing power of roughly $86,957 at national-average prices. A lower-tax state with higher housing costs can leave you worse off in real terms.