Employment

The information industry has the largest average salary in the region at $105,725, yet it’s 44.3% less than the U.S. average. Leisure and Hospitality is the fourthlargest industry in employment size in the region and offers the lowest average salary. The region must work to grow salaries across all industries to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining talent. With housing costs growing rapidly (see page 9), combined with a lower average salary, affordability is an urgent challenge the region must address.

Average Salary by Industry, 2021

Employment by Industry in the Region, 2021

Source: Charleston Regional Data Center

2011-2021

Since 2011, employment in the region has grown over twice as fast as the U.S. It was also more resilient in 2020 with the initial onset of COVID-19 and recovered faster from both the Great Recession and COVID-19.

Source: Charleston Regional Data Center

Source: Charleston Regional Data Center