South Carolina Paycheck Calculator
South Carolina taxes wages at 0% / 3% / 6.2% — a high top rate on paper, but only on income above $17,330 of taxable income.
Worked example
Single filer earning $60,000 in South Carolina, paid biweekly: federal tax is $5,020.00/yr (after the $16,100 standard deduction). South Carolina taxable income is $60,000 − the standard deduction = $43,900.00, so state tax is $2,063.44/yr. Social Security is $3,720 and Medicare is $870. Take-home: $48,326.56/yr — $1,858.71 per biweekly paycheck. Change the salary above and try your own.
How South Carolina paycheck tax works
Federal first: your employer annualizes each paycheck. Federal taxable income is your gross minus the IRS standard deduction for 2026 — $16,100 if you file single, $32,200 married filing jointly (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32) — then taxed through the 2026 federal brackets (10% up to 22% across most middle incomes). Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages (plus 0.9% over $200,000 single / $250,000 joint).
South Carolina tax uses its 2025 tables — the latest published when this page was built (the federal figures on this page are 2026): three rates — 0% on the first $3,460 of taxable income, 3% up to $17,330, then 6.2% (South Carolina has been cutting the top rate 0.1 point a year). South Carolina's standard deduction equals the federal standard deduction (shown here at the 2026 federal amounts, $16,100 single / $32,200 joint), and the same brackets apply to single and joint filers. This calculator annualizes your salary; your employer's per-paycheck withholding may differ slightly.
South Carolina paycheck FAQ
What is the South Carolina income tax rate in 2025?
For 2025, South Carolina taxes wages at three rates — 0% on the first $3,460 of taxable income, 3% up to $17,330, then 6.2% (South Carolina has been cutting the top rate 0.1 point a year), after the standard deduction. Enter your salary above to see the dollar amount on your income.
My real South Carolina paycheck is different. Why?
Pre-tax 401(k) or HSA contributions, health premiums, garnishments, bonuses (often withheld at a flat 22% federal), and your W-4 elections all move the real number. Many states also withhold a little differently per paycheck than this annualized estimate. Treat this as a close, honest estimate — not payroll software.
What about overtime or a bonus?
Overtime hours are taxed at the same rates — a higher paycheck just annualizes higher. Try our time and a half calculator and bonus tax calculator for those.