Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers in South Carolina
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$31,244
after federal, FICA and South Carolina tax
Tax takes
$5,466
14.9% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$33,532
South Carolina costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in South Carolina — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$36,710
Kept after tax
$31,244
Worth in national money
$33,532
State rank
43
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- South Carolina is among the lower-paying states for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. The middle earner takes $36,710, ranking 43 of 51 states — about 6.23% below the national middle. Costs here are often lower too, which the figures further down account for.
- Measured against other jobs in South Carolina, this one sits low: 419 of 492 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- South Carolina is cheaper than average, and that shows up here. From $36,710 the take-home is $31,244; adjusted for what things actually cost, it goes as far as $33,532 would nationally. The average comes to $37,520, above the middle, thanks to the top of the range.
- South Carolina ranks 43 of 51 for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, with a median of $36,710 — about 6.23% below the national figure. A nominal shortfall is not by itself a real one: lower-paying states frequently carry lower tax and lower price levels, and the adjusted figures below are where that is settled rather than assumed.
- Landscaping and groundskeeping workers occupies position 419 of 492 in South Carolina's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- Post-tax income for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in South Carolina, on $36,710, is $31,244 — equivalent to $33,532 once regional price parity is applied. ⚠️ The adjustment uses a statewide index that describes no particular address; within-state price variation, concentrated in housing, routinely exceeds the difference between two states. At $37,520 the mean overshoots the median — the usual right-skewed shape.
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Pay band: Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $28,590 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $36,710 |
| Top tenth earn over | $47,010 |
| This salary | $36,710 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in South Carolina | $31,244 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $31,676 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | −$935 |
The raise and the real gain point in opposite directions here.
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $36,172 |
|---|---|
| Raise you would need | +$1,131 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 93 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Half the people doing this work in South Carolina earn less than $36,710. The published range is $28,590 up to $47,010, so an individual figure can sit a long way from the middle in either direction.
- In South Carolina the take-home figure of $31,244, from $36,710, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 419 of 492 occupations here.
- One number stands for prices across all of South Carolina, which is a simplification — big cities cost far more than small towns. Read $33,532, the adjusted value of that $36,710 median, as a way to compare states fairly, not as a quote for any particular place. The two datasets are also from different years. This job sits at 419 of 492 in the state.
- Reported values are medians; for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in South Carolina the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile band is $28,590 to $47,010. Neither the median nor the band is an offer rate, and neither accounts for hours, shift differentials or overtime.
- Take-home for South Carolina is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $31,244 from $36,710. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 419 of 492 locally.
- Price deflation uses one statewide parity for South Carolina, so $33,532 — the adjusted value of that $36,710 median — establishes comparability between states rather than accuracy within one. The wage and parity series are dated independently, each following its own publication cycle, and neither is projected forward. This occupation sits at 419 of 492 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
Most of these jobs pay within a close range — $28,590 at the tenth percentile, $47,010 at the ninetieth.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
A smaller wage in a cheaper place is not automatically less. Adjusted for local prices, this is worth $33,532.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; South Carolina then takes its own share, leaving $31,244.
Can I compare this job across every state?
All 51 jurisdictions report this work, which makes the ranking a like-for-like one.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($28,590 to $47,010) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to South Carolina rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
South Carolina's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $33,532 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $31,244 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and South Carolina income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.