Senior Software Engineer salary in Charleston, SC
Based on 15 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes North Charleston, Summerville, Ladson, Ridgeville, Mount Pleasant.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $123,606 |
| 25th | $126,360 |
| 50th (median) | $137,000 |
| 75th | $157,500 |
| 90th | $177,304 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $96,000 | $95,505 | $109,999 | 12 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | $108,056 | $90,192 | $136,375 | 11 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2025 | $144,666 | $129,054 | $166,630 | 11 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 4 |
Cost of living
Charleston's median senior Software Engineer salary of $137,000 is worth about $135,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Charleston = 101.0).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Charleston, SC area earned a median of $132,150 in May 2025 (2,050 employed). The H-1B median here is $137,000, 4% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | too few | 2 |
| Capgemini America | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,500 | 20 |
| Senior · Level III | $137,000 | 15 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $102,627 | $104,500 | 20 |
| Senior · Level III | $122,117 | $137,000 | 15 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.