Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Charleston area earn a median of $60,950 a year, 5% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #294 of 388 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Florence and Columbia, but less in Hilton Head Island.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.8%) and the population is growing faster than most (+10.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 75 one-person industrial machinery repair businesses averaging $67,693 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $76/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Charleston scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Charleston with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($63,865).
Pay over time
The median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in the Charleston area went from $59,560 in 2020 to $60,950 in 2025, up 2.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -18.4% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Charleston Our calculation
Prices in the Charleston area run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $60,369 would in a typical place, ranking #357 of 382 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What industrial machinery mechanics do
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanic jobs are projected to grow 17.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 44,400 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often industrial machinery mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in South Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in South Carolina is the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for industrial machinery mechanics.
Official South Carolina licensing site ↗
Requirements for industrial machinery mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanics have 54 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 38% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying SC metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColumbiaSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $64,680 | $69,057 | 1,370 |
| FlorenceSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $63,840 | $73,570 | 500 |
| GreenvilleSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $62,570 | $67,092 | 2,470 |
| SpartanburgSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $61,100 | $67,105 | 1,070 |
| CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $60,950 | $60,369 | 1,350 |
| SumterSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $60,820 | $69,098 | 110 |
| Hilton Head IslandSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $56,910 | $58,061 | 60 |
| Myrtle BeachSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $56,040 | $59,845 | 120 |
See every metro in South Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Charleston area's unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just industrial machinery mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.5% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Charleston area is 29 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 21% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 70% drive alone, 1% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Charleston area's population grew 10.7% from 2020 to 2025 (803,468 → 889,263), ranking #29 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +72,328) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Charleston are down 12% from 2021 to 2025 (8,282 → 7,287).
In 2025 the Charleston area approved permits for 7,287 new homes (5,799 single-family), or 8.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #39 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 75 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $67,693 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 55 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 510 workers in total). 60% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $60,950 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get industrial machinery mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Charleston with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.