Advantis salary data Updated today · 15 open Charleston jobs

Travel Nurse Salary in Charleston, SC

Coastal housing costs are an important part of Charleston travel nurse salary because rent runs above South Carolina norms. Compare live weekly pay from travel RN jobs by specialty, then weigh state taxes and estimated pay after rent to see how different Charleston assignments hold up after local costs.

Median weekly · Charleston
$1,932
+$20/wk vs the South Carolina median · range $1,842–$2,885
Pay after Charleston rent / mo
≈ $7,028/mo
$1,932/wk × 52 ÷ 12 − $1,344 2-BR rent benchmark. Before taxes. (HUD FMR FY2026.)
State income tax
1.99% / 5.21% (two brackets)
Specialties in demand

Which units are open in Charleston

Charleston's hospitals post a broad mix for a metro this size, drawing referral work from across the Lowcountry, and what is open carries the rate more than the building. Use the specialty filter to see current Charleston roles and pay.

Operating Room Med Surg PCU Telemetry
Specialties with open contracts in this metro. Tap any for current openings. Rates vary by facility, shift, and start date.
What the number includes

A Charleston weekly rate, unpacked

In Charleston, coastal rent is the variable: a two-bedroom near $1,787 runs above the South Carolina norm and around the national line, so the housing stipend roughly covers the cost without much cushion. The hourly base and meal stipend make up the remainder, but in Charleston it is the rent premium that sets how much you keep.

Hourly base, the wage portion of the rate Housing stipend, a weekly housing allowance Meals & incidentals, a daily meals allowance
The exact split varies by contract and location.
Charleston context

Charleston take-home after coastal rent and tax

Charleston anchors referral care for the Lowcountry, so assignments cycle through the year. For a traveler, the question is what the rate keeps after South Carolina costs. Overall living costs run near the national average, but rent runs above the rest of the state, a two-bedroom near $1,787, so housing takes the larger bite.

South Carolina's tax has a quirk worth noting. The state taxes income on a graduated scale topping out at 6%, with the exact top rate set by annual budget action, so confirm the current year's figure; there is no local income tax. Travelers holding a multistate license walk into a Charleston contract with nothing extra to file, while South Carolina endorsement takes single-state nurses roughly four to six weeks and about $100. The South Carolina RN licensing guide walks through the steps.

1.99% / 5.21% (two brackets)
State income tax
Applies to the taxable base; stipends are typically not taxed.
Compact ✓
Start on your license
Multistate license? No new application. Single-state license: apply by endorsement; processing time varies by board.
9.08 /1k
RN per 1,000 residents
Below the national 9.92, which supports steady demand.
Among 10 largest RN shortages · ~12% by 2038 (~7,250 FTE)
HRSA 2023–2038 · long-term
Sustained demand keeps contracts open.
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 (2-BR rent), BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost of living), NCSBN; South Carolina Board of Nursing (license status), Tax Foundation; SC DOR (state tax); all Charleston, SC. General information.
Live openings

Current Charleston travel roles

Rent runs higher than the rest of South Carolina, so in Charleston the after-rent figure is the one to read. Tap any posting below for its specialty, shift, and full contract.

IR Tech · Charleston, SC
Days · 13 wks
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Operating Room · Charleston, SC
Variable · 12 wks
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CVOR · Charleston, SC
Days · 13 wks
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Cath Lab · Charleston, SC
Nights · 13 wks
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Charleston salary questions

Charleston pay, asked and answered

What does a travel nurse salary in Charleston, SC pay?
Charleston pay comes as a weekly contract across a coastal referral market, and the figure that matters is what holds up against rent that runs above the rest of the state. The range above marks the median and the spread.
What units lead Charleston's pay scale?
Lowcountry referral volume keeps Charleston's acute units on top. ER, cardiac, OR, ICU, and Labor and Delivery roles sit at the upper end of the Charleston range; Med Surg trails and off-shifts pay extra. See what's posting in the specialty list above.
Does a Charleston rate go far after rent?
Charleston runs about even: general cost is near the national average, but its coastal rent runs above the state norm, so the stipend roughly covers housing without much to spare. Rent is the line that decides the after-cost figure here.
Will my multistate license cover Charleston?
Yes. A multistate license works for a Charleston assignment thanks to South Carolina's compact membership; if you hold only a single-state license, endorsement runs about four to six weeks and $100. See the South Carolina RN licensing guide.
What does South Carolina's graduated tax do to a Charleston paycheck?
A moderate top rate, with a budget-set wrinkle. The state income tax tops out at 6%, but the exact top rate is set by annual budget action, so it is worth checking the current year's figure. There is no local income tax, so the state rate is the whole picture for a traveling nurse.
Does a Charleston rate hold its value against the averages?
On rent, less than the rest of South Carolina. Charleston may post solid rates, but its coastal rent runs above the state norm, so the after-rent edge over cheaper South Carolina metros is slim. The table above sets the metro against state and national cost.
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Open travel RN contracts are paying a median of $1,932 per week right now.

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