Jobs, pay and daily life in James Island, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
James Island is a city in South Carolina with 12,198 residents. The median household earns $104,217 a year and the median rent is $1,695 a month, which is 19.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 394,170 jobs.
How James Island compares. Among the 80 largest places in South Carolina, James Island is #53 by population, #1 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #7 for household income (#1 = highest), #9 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Charleston County, is #1 of 46 counties for average pay ($68,271).
James Island has 12,198 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of South Carolina. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,520 people per square mile. The median age is 41.7, 4% older than the state median (41.7 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $1,695 a month (rent plus utilities), 44% above the state median ($1,695 against $1,180). Over a year that is 19.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $508,600, which is 4.9 times the median household income ($104,217). 87.5% of households own their home, 22% above the state average (87.5% against 71.9%).
The Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area has 394,170 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,150 a year, 4% below the national median ($49,150 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (46,270 jobs, median $46,020); food preparation and serving related (45,140 jobs, median $29,870); sales and related (38,620 jobs, median $37,430). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.4 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($119,650) and computer and mathematical ($104,460). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Charleston County was 3.0%. 66.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Charleston County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.1% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 18.2% work from home. 7.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 46% below the state average (7.9% against 14.7%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
49.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54% above the state share (49.5% against 32.1%). 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 49% below the state share (2.9% against 5.8%). The poverty rate is 5.6%, 60% below the state rate (5.6% against 14.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 54°F (12.4°C). About 1,238 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (173 mm) and Jan the driest (62 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Mount Pleasant (7 miles, rent 27% higher); Charleston (7 miles, similar rent); Hanahan (14 miles, rent 17% lower); North Charleston (15 miles, rent 16% lower). Rent differences are against James Island; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in South Carolina (373) →State guide: South CarolinaCountry guideCharleston CountySouth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 373 federal postings open in South Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in South Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 730 | 1.30 | $174,040 | $113,310 | $221,190 | +2% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 940 | 0.55 | $167,000 | $97,180 | $287,170 | -5% |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,370 | 1.57 | $163,900 | $17,950 | $471,010 | -38% |
| Financial Managers | 1,420 | 0.67 | $147,170 | $85,590 | $299,470 | -12% |
| Pharmacists | 920 | 1.12 | $145,950 | $112,460 | $167,920 | +4% |
| Sales Managers | 1,660 | 1.03 | $139,830 | $69,590 | $230,400 | -6% |
| Marketing Managers | 800 | 0.80 | $138,790 | $80,960 | $302,820 | -17% |
| Managers, All Other | 510 | 0.33 | $136,370 | $75,550 | $196,640 | -4% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 730 | 1.01 | $132,790 | $55,670 | $204,950 | +27% |
| Software Developers | 2,050 | 0.48 | $132,150 | $80,170 | $213,340 | -3% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 1,590 | 1.44 | $131,600 | $79,970 | $172,100 | +13% |
| Physician Assistants | 620 | 1.50 | $128,920 | $77,790 | $158,260 | -5% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,050 | 1.28 | $127,780 | $103,200 | $157,170 | -3% |
| Lawyers | 1,590 | 0.83 | $127,280 | $75,960 | $272,990 | -20% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 980 | 1.57 | $124,060 | $84,390 | $199,740 | -2% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 2,220 | 1.46 | $121,990 | $67,320 | $216,360 | -2% |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,050 | 1.14 | $110,830 | $78,720 | $165,430 | +8% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 940 | 1.26 | $110,820 | $76,970 | $154,890 | +6% |
| Electrical Engineers | 590 | 1.18 | $110,030 | $75,540 | $162,450 | -9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 6,000 | 0.68 | $109,260 | $60,070 | $228,790 | +3% |
These figures are for the whole Charleston-North Charleston, SC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,150 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.5% |
| Retail trade | 9.7% |
| Other services | 8.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.8% |
| Construction | 6.8% |
| Public administration | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing | 4.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.2% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where James Island lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 420,264 | $50,462 million | $120,072 | 278,476 | 22,449 | $68,271 | +1.6% | 3.0% | 245,088 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 36,782 | 16.1% | $33,658 | 1.45 |
| Health care and social assistance | 31,933 | 13.9% | $68,426 | 0.80 |
| Retail trade | 30,266 | 13.2% | $43,782 | 1.09 |
| Professional and technical services | 21,342 | 9.3% | $104,365 | 1.10 |
| Administrative and waste services | 19,698 | 8.6% | $47,340 | 1.20 |
| Manufacturing | 17,539 | 7.7% | $95,867 | 0.77 |
| Construction | 15,708 | 6.9% | $83,765 | 1.07 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10,195 | 4.5% | $62,993 | 0.86 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,662 | 3.3% | $54,112 | 0.91 |
| Finance and insurance | 7,556 | 3.3% | $131,991 | 0.67 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,208 | 3.1% | $95,748 | 0.66 |
| Real estate and rental | 6,388 | 2.8% | $79,278 | 1.48 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 5,247 | 2.3% | $32,295 | 1.12 |
| Educational services | 4,256 | 1.9% | $55,374 | 0.74 |
| Information | 3,992 | 1.7% | $112,888 | 0.76 |
| Management of companies | 2,220 | 1.0% | $97,208 | 0.47 |
| Utilities | 710 | 0.3% | $104,254 | 0.67 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 295 | 0.1% | $65,612 | 0.13 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 44 | 0.0% | $181,273 | 0.04 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.1% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 18.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,217 |
| Income per person | $52,756 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,695 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.5% |
| Median home value | $508,600 |
| Homeowners | 87.5% |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 101.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,150 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 6.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 41.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 49.5% |
| Born abroad | 2.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 66.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.4 | 54 | 62 |
| Feb | 13.6 | 56 | 79 |
| Mar | 15.8 | 60 | 82 |
| Apr | 19.2 | 67 | 79 |
| May | 23.2 | 74 | 91 |
| Jun | 26.6 | 80 | 141 |
| Jul | 27.9 | 82 | 142 |
| Aug | 27.8 | 82 | 173 |
| Sep | 26.1 | 79 | 127 |
| Oct | 22.3 | 72 | 106 |
| Nov | 17.5 | 64 | 65 |
| Dec | 14.7 | 58 | 91 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant | SC | 7 mi | 93,993 | $124,755 | $2,159 |
| Charleston | SC | 7 mi | 154,338 | $92,414 | $1,722 |
| Hanahan | SC | 14 mi | 21,452 | $87,984 | $1,412 |
| North Charleston | SC | 15 mi | 119,913 | $62,956 | $1,430 |
| Goose Creek | SC | 18 mi | 48,078 | $88,178 | $1,690 |
| Ladson | SC | 21 mi | 16,140 | $78,760 | $1,785 |
| Sangaree | SC | 23 mi | 8,681 | $77,673 | $1,419 |
| Summerville | SC | 23 mi | 51,654 | $81,046 | $1,526 |
| Moncks Corner | SC | 32 mi | 15,485 | $91,500 | $1,307 |
| Beaufort | SC | 50 mi | 13,747 | $61,220 | $1,212 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
12,198 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,695 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.5% of the median household income.
$104,217 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Charleston County (latest month 2026M09)).
South Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.