How South Carolina taxes your paycheck
South Carolina has progressive income tax rates from 1.99% to 5.21% for tax year 2026, in 2 brackets. Before the rate applies, the calculator subtracts a standard deduction of $15,000 for single filers, $30,000 for married couples filing jointly and $22,500 for heads of household. The standard deduction phases out as income rises: over $40,000–$95,000 for single filers, $80,000–$190,000 for married couples and $60,000–$142,500 for heads of household. The calculator applies this using your taxable wages as the income figure.
Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from South Carolina taxable wages, and Section 125 health premiums are excluded.
Figures are from SCDOR Information Letter 26-20: Individual Income Tax Reform (August 31, 2026) (tax year 2026).
Take-home pay examples in South Carolina
A single filer earning $60,000 in South Carolina, paid every two weeks, takes home about $1,874.13 per paycheck, or $48,727 a year. Of the $60,000, $5,020 goes to federal income tax, $4,590 to Social Security and Medicare, and $1,663 to South Carolina income tax.
At $100,000, take-home pay is about $74,936 a year ($2,882.15 per paycheck), with $4,244 of South Carolina income tax. A married couple filing jointly on one $100,000 salary keeps about $81,745, because of the larger standard deduction and wider brackets. The table below shows more salaries.
Other South Carolina payroll deductions
South Carolina has no state-mandated employee payroll contribution, such as disability or paid family leave insurance, included in this calculator. Your paycheck may still show voluntary or employer-specific deductions.
Local income taxes in South Carolina
South Carolina has no local income taxes on wages.
Hourly pay in South Carolina
A full-time worker earning $20 an hour (40 hours a week, $41,600 a year) in South Carolina takes home about $1,348.75 every two weeks, or $674.38 a week on average, as a single filer. South Carolina income tax takes $538 of that pay a year, an effective state rate of 1.293%. Choose Hourly wage in the calculator to enter your own rate and hours.
South Carolina compared with neighboring states
On a $75,000 salary (single, no pre-tax deductions), take-home pay in South Carolina is about $58,935 a year. It is higher in North Carolina, and lower in Georgia. The comparison table below shows the difference in dollars. Where you live usually decides which state taxes your wages, but people who live in one state and work in another should check both states' rules on residency and credits.
What else to know about South Carolina taxes
Act 110 (signed March 30, 2026) reformed South Carolina income tax from 2026: tax now starts from federal adjusted gross income and uses a new South Carolina Income Adjusted Deduction.
That deduction phases out between $40,000 and $95,000 of income for single filers ($80,000–$190,000 joint, $60,000–$142,500 head of household). This estimate applies the phase-out.
Dependent exemptions are not included.
What this estimate does not include
Tax credits, itemized deductions, other income, overtime, bonuses and post-tax deductions are not included, and actual withholding follows your Form W-4 and South Carolina's own withholding rules. Use it as a planning estimate. For the method and the federal rules, see the main paycheck calculator.