Estimate your 2026 South Carolina take-home pay from salary or hourly wages. This calculator applies the 2026 SC withholding formula (0%, 3% and 6%) with your SC W-4 allowances, including the zero-allowance rule, and handles federal W-4 withholding, Social Security, Medicare and pre-tax deductions. South Carolina tax shows up as state withholding (SIT) on your pay stub.
Example: $60,000 salary, paid biweekly, federal Single, SC W-4 with 1 allowance, no voluntary deductions. Use the calculator below for your own numbers.
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2026 SC formula0%, 3% and 6% with SC W-4 allowances
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Federal W-4 + FICA2026 brackets, $184,500 wage base
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Salary or hourlyWeekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly pay
South Carolina Paycheck Calculator
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2026 calculation methodology
Federal withholding uses the 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction for your Form W-4 filing status, with Step 2(c), Step 3 and Step 4 inputs. South Carolina withholding follows the 2026 formula: annualized wages minus a standard deduction of 10% of wages up to $7,500 (none with zero allowances) and $4,860 per SC W-4 allowance, taxed at 0% to $3,640, 3% to $18,230 and 6% above, divided by pay periods, plus any extra amount. Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500 and Medicare is 1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000. See the worked example and test cases below.
What You Should Know About South Carolina Paychecks
South Carolina withholds income tax at 0%, 3% and 6%. The 6% rate
starts at just $18,230 of annual taxable wages, so almost every
full-time paycheck has part of its pay taxed at the top rate. On a
$60,000 salary with one SC W-4 allowance, state withholding is
$88.17 per biweekly paycheck.
The SC W-4 matters more than most state forms. Claim at least one
allowance and the formula subtracts a standard deduction of 10% of
your wages, up to $7,500. Claim zero, or never turn in the form,
and that deduction disappears: at $60,000 that's $25 more tax every
paycheck.
South Carolina has no city or county income tax and no state
disability deductions, and it follows the federal $7.25 minimum
wage.
6%Top withholding rate
Above $18,230 of taxable wages.
$88.17SC tax at $60,000
Per biweekly paycheck, 1 allowance.
$4,860Per SC W-4 allowance
Plus a standard deduction up to $7,500.
South Carolina Paycheck Taxes at a Glance
Here's everything that comes out of a South Carolina paycheck in
2026 and which payroll taxes the employer pays instead. For more on
the federal lines, see our
FICA tax guide.
South Carolina employee paycheck items in 2026
Paycheck item
2026 treatment
Employee deduction?
Federal income tax
Based on wages, pay frequency and Form W-4
Yes
Social Security
6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500
Yes
Medicare
1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000
Yes
South Carolina income tax
0%, 3% and 6% after the standard deduction and $4,860 per SC W-4 allowance
Yes
City or county income tax
None in South Carolina
No
State disability or paid leave
None in South Carolina
No
Unemployment insurance
Employer-paid
No
2026 South Carolina Withholding Formula
South Carolina uses one formula for every filing status. Your employer annualizes your wages, subtracts the standard deduction and allowances, applies this table and divides by pay periods.
2026 South Carolina annual withholding formula
Step or bracket
2026 amount
Standard deduction, 1 or more allowances
10% of annual wages, up to $7,500
Standard deduction, 0 allowances
$0
Each SC W-4 allowance
$4,860
Taxable wages up to $3,640
0%
$3,640 to $18,230
3% over $3,640
Over $18,230
$437.70 plus 6% over $18,230
Where the numbers come from: We checked this formula against SCDOR's printed 2026 biweekly table. For wages of $1,980 to $2,020, the table shows $95, $72, $60 and $49 for 0 to 3 allowances; the formula gives $94.77, $71.55, $60.33 and $49.12 at the $2,000 midpoint. The table rounds to whole dollars; this calculator keeps the cents.
Form SC W-4: How Your Choices Change Your Paycheck
South Carolina has its own withholding form, the SC W-4. Here's what each choice does to a $60,000 biweekly paycheck.
Effect of SC W-4 choices on South Carolina withholding, $60,000 salary, biweekly (2026)
SC W-4 choice
South Carolina tax
Take-home pay
0 allowances (or no SC W-4 on file)
$113.23
$1,824.84
1 allowance
$88.17
$1,849.90
2 allowances
$76.95
$1,861.12
3 allowances
$65.73
$1,872.34
1 allowance, plus $10 extra
$98.17
$1,839.90
Exempt from withholding
$0.00
$1,938.07
How to read this: The first allowance is worth $25.06 a paycheck because it unlocks the standard deduction as well as the $4,860 exemption. Each extra allowance after that is worth about $11.22. If you have more than one job, claim allowances on only one of them.
What South Carolina Tax Really Costs by Salary
South Carolina withholding per biweekly paycheck with one allowance, zero allowances, and for a married filer with two allowances.
South Carolina withholding by salary (2026)
Salary
1 allowance, per paycheck
1 allowance, per year
Share of gross
0 allowances, per paycheck
Married, 2 allowances, per paycheck
$30,000
$25.86
$672
2.24%
$44.00
$15.74
$40,000
$46.63
$1,212
3.03%
$67.07
$35.41
$50,000
$67.40
$1,752
3.50%
$90.15
$56.18
$60,000
$88.17
$2,292
3.82%
$113.23
$76.95
$75,000
$119.32
$3,102
4.14%
$147.84
$108.10
$100,000
$177.01
$4,602
4.60%
$205.53
$165.80
$120,000
$223.17
$5,802
4.84%
$251.69
$211.95
$150,000
$292.40
$7,602
5.07%
$320.92
$281.18
The $7,500 cap: The standard deduction reaches its $7,500 maximum at $75,000 of wages, so above that the gap between one and zero allowances stays at about $28.52 a paycheck.
South Carolina Paycheck Tax Compared With Nearby States
The same $60,000 biweekly paycheck, filing single, run through our other state calculators with their default settings.
State income tax on a $60,000 salary, biweekly, single (2026)
Keep the whole picture in mind: South Carolina takes a little more than Georgia and about $14 a paycheck more than North Carolina at this salary. Commuters between Rock Hill and Charlotte, or Aiken and Augusta, pay the work state's tax and claim a credit at home.
South Carolina Salary Calculator: Take-Home Pay Examples for 2026
Biweekly pay with no pre-tax deductions. Single filers use federal
Single and 1 SC W-4 allowance; married filers use Married Filing
Jointly and 2 allowances. To convert pay first, use our
salary to hourly calculator,
or model a raise with the pay raise calculator.
South Carolina take-home pay by annual salary (biweekly, 2026)
Annual salary
Single annual net
Single avg. monthly net
Married annual net
Married avg. monthly net
$30,000
$25,613
$2,134
$27,296
$2,275
$40,000
$33,108
$2,759
$35,239
$2,937
$50,000
$40,603
$3,384
$42,934
$3,578
$60,000
$48,098
$4,008
$50,569
$4,214
$75,000
$58,490
$4,874
$61,812
$5,151
$100,000
$74,578
$6,215
$80,399
$6,700
$120,000
$87,447
$7,287
$95,269
$7,939
$150,000
$106,189
$8,849
$115,874
$9,656
How to Calculate Your South Carolina Paycheck
A South Carolina paycheck goes from gross pay to take-home pay in
four steps. The state step depends heavily on your SC W-4, which
this calculator handles for you.
1
Calculate gross pay
Divide salary by pay periods, or multiply the hourly rate by regular hours and add overtime at 1.5 times the rate after 40 hours in a week.
Annualize wages, subtract the standard deduction (10% up to $7,500, only with at least one allowance) and $4,860 per allowance, apply the 0%, 3% and 6% table and divide by pay periods.
South Carolina Withholding Worked Example: $60,000 Salary, Biweekly
Here's the 2026 SC formula run by hand for the paycheck at the top of this page: a $60,000 salary, SC W-4 with 1 allowance, biweekly pay and no pre-tax deductions.
Step-by-step 2026 South Carolina withholding on a $60,000 biweekly salary
Step
Calculation
Result
1. Annualize wages
$2,307.69 times 26
$59,999.94
2. Standard deduction
10% of $59,999.94, under the $7,500 cap
$5,999.99
3. Allowance
1 times $4,860
$4,860.00
4. Taxable wages
$59,999.94 minus $5,999.99 minus $4,860
$49,139.95
5. Apply the table
$437.70 plus 6% of $30,909.95 (the amount over $18,230)
$2,292.30 per year
6. Divide by pay periods
$2,292.30 divided by 26
$88.17
What it means for take-home pay: Gross pay of $2,307.69 minus $193.08 federal income tax, $143.08 Social Security, $33.46 Medicare and $88.17 South Carolina tax leaves $1,849.90.
South Carolina Minimum Wage and Overtime in 2026
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets the floor for covered employers.
Overtime example: $20 an hour for 80 regular and 10 overtime hours is $1,900 gross. South Carolina withholding is $66.15 and take-home pay is $1,544.35. To total a week of punches first, use our time card calculator with overtime.
Federal withholding uses your Form W-4 and the 2026 federal
brackets. The calculator supports filing status, Step 2(c), Step 3
credits and Step 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c). If you claim the new overtime
or tips deductions, our
W-4 Step 4(b) worksheet guide
shows how to enter them, and our
2026 federal tax withholding guide
covers the rest.
Working Across State Lines
South Carolina has no reciprocal agreements. If you live in
North Carolina
or Georgia
and work in South Carolina, your employer withholds South Carolina
tax and you claim a credit at home. South Carolina residents who
work across the line have that state's tax withheld and claim a
credit on their South Carolina return.
Bonuses
Bonuses are usually added to regular pay and run through the SC
tables, so most of a bonus is withheld at 6%. Federal withholding
(usually a flat 22%) and FICA apply too. See
why bonuses are taxed so high.
Employer Payroll Costs in South Carolina
Employers pay state unemployment insurance
to the SC Department of Employment and Workforce. None of it comes
out of your pay. At year-end, our
W-2 form generator
can use the same wage and withholding totals.
Why Your Actual South Carolina Paycheck May Differ
This calculator is a close estimate, not your employer's payroll
run. Your SC W-4 on file, whether your employer uses the printed
tables (which round to whole dollars) or the formula, benefit
elections and a 27th biweekly payday in some years can all move
the result a little.
Three-paycheck months
change monthly cash flow but not the tax on each check. For a full
checklist, see why your paycheck is lower than expected.
South Carolina Paycheck Calculator by Pay Frequency
This page also works as a weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly
South Carolina payroll calculator. The annual
salary stays the same, but gross pay and withholding on each check
change with the number of pay periods. See our
pay period guide
for how the schedules differ.
52Weekly$924.96 net26Biweekly$1,849.90 net24Semimonthly$2,004.07 net12Monthly$4,008.15 net1Annual$48,098 net
Figures use a $60,000 salary, federal Single, SC W-4 with 1
allowance and no voluntary deductions. South Carolina tax is $44.08
weekly, $88.17 biweekly, $95.51 semimonthly and $191.02 monthly.
How We Test This South Carolina Paycheck Calculator
Every scenario below was run through the calculator on this page on September 25, 2026 and checked by hand against the 2026 SC formula, which we also matched to SCDOR's printed tables. Scenarios are biweekly unless noted.
South Carolina paycheck test cases, checked September 25, 2026 (per paycheck)
Scenario
Gross pay
Federal income tax
South Carolina tax
Take-home pay
$30,000, 1 allowance
$1,153.85
$54.62
$25.86
$985.10
$60,000, 1 allowance
$2,307.69
$193.08
$88.17
$1,849.90
$60,000, 0 allowances
$2,307.69
$193.08
$113.23
$1,824.84
$60,000, 2 allowances
$2,307.69
$193.08
$76.95
$1,861.12
$60,000, 3 allowances
$2,307.69
$193.08
$65.73
$1,872.34
$60,000, $10 extra
$2,307.69
$193.08
$98.17
$1,839.90
$60,000, exempt
$2,307.69
$193.08
$0.00
$1,938.07
$60,000, $150 401(k)
$2,307.69
$175.08
$80.07
$1,726.00
$60,000, $100 Section 125
$2,307.69
$181.08
$82.77
$1,774.95
$60,000, Married Filing Jointly, 2 allowances
$2,307.69
$109.23
$76.95
$1,944.97
$45,000, Head of Household, $2,200 W-4 credit, 3 allowances
$1,730.77
$0.00
$34.58
$1,563.78
$60,000, weekly
$1,153.85
$96.54
$44.08
$924.96
$60,000, monthly
$5,000.00
$418.33
$191.02
$4,008.15
$100,000, 1 allowance
$3,846.15
$506.54
$177.01
$2,868.37
$150,000, 1 allowance
$5,769.23
$951.31
$292.40
$4,084.18
$20 an hour, 80 hours plus 10 overtime
$1,900.00
$144.15
$66.15
$1,544.35
$7.25 an hour, 40 hours, weekly
$290.00
$0.00
$2.93
$264.88
Update log: September 25, 2026: rewrote this page and fixed the calculator. The old version treated South Carolina as a state with no income tax and showed $0 state withholding, so it overstated take-home pay by $88.17 per paycheck at $60,000. The calculator now runs the 2026 SC formula with the standard deduction, the zero-allowance rule, $4,860 allowances and extra withholding. We added the formula, an SC W-4 comparison, tax by salary, a state comparison, a worked example and the test cases above. We re-check this page whenever South Carolina or the IRS publishes new tables, and at least once a year each January.
2026 Tax Data This Calculator Uses
Here's every rate and limit behind the numbers on this page and where it comes from, so you can check them yourself.
Tax rates and limits used by the South Carolina paycheck calculator
Item
2026 value used
Source
Federal income tax withholding
2026 brackets and standard deductions for Form W-4
Spotted something that looks wrong? Tell us through the editorial contact form with the inputs you used, and we'll re-check the calculation. This page is written by Rachel Brooks and follows the research and review process on our editorial team page. ePayStubs isn't affiliated with the IRS or the State of South Carolina.
South Carolina Paycheck Calculator FAQ
What are South Carolina's withholding rates in 2026?
South Carolina withholds at 0% on the first $3,640 of annual taxable wages, 3% from $3,640 to $18,230 and 6% above that. Most full-time workers have part of their pay in the 6% bracket. The same table applies to every filing status.
How much tax is taken out of a South Carolina paycheck?
On a $60,000 salary paid biweekly with one SC W-4 allowance, $457.79 comes out of each $2,307.69 paycheck: $193.08 federal income tax, $143.08 Social Security, $33.46 Medicare and $88.17 South Carolina income tax. That leaves $1,849.90.
Why does claiming zero allowances raise my SC tax so much?
With one or more allowances, South Carolina's formula subtracts a standard deduction of 10% of wages, up to $7,500. With zero allowances you lose that deduction entirely. At $60,000, going from one allowance to zero raises withholding from $88.17 to $113.23 a paycheck, about $650 a year.
How do SC W-4 allowances work?
Each allowance on the SC W-4 removes $4,860 a year from your wages before the table applies. At the 6% rate that's about $11.22 less tax per biweekly paycheck for each allowance, on top of the standard deduction that the first allowance unlocks.
Does South Carolina use my federal W-4?
No. South Carolina has had its own SC W-4 since 2020. If you don't give your employer one, they withhold as if you claimed zero allowances, which skips the standard deduction and takes the most tax.
How are bonuses taxed in South Carolina?
Bonuses are usually added to the regular paycheck and run through the tables, so most of a bonus is withheld at 6%. Federal withholding, usually a flat 22%, and FICA apply too.
What is South Carolina's minimum wage in 2026?
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 an hour applies to covered employers. Tipped employees can be paid $2.13 an hour if tips bring them to $7.25. Overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week.
Are 401(k) contributions pre-tax in South Carolina?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) and Section 125 deductions lower South Carolina taxable wages. A $150 biweekly 401(k) contribution on a $60,000 salary cuts South Carolina withholding from $88.17 to $80.07.
Do I pay South Carolina tax if I live in North Carolina or Georgia?
Yes, if you work in South Carolina. South Carolina has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds on wages earned there and your home state gives you a credit. South Carolina residents who work in Charlotte or Augusta have that state's tax withheld and claim a credit at home.
Is there city or county income tax in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina cities and counties don't tax wages.
How do I calculate take-home pay in South Carolina?
Start with gross pay and subtract pre-tax deductions. Figure federal withholding and FICA. Then annualize wages, subtract the standard deduction (10% of wages up to $7,500, only if you claim at least one allowance) and $4,860 per allowance, apply the 0%, 3% and 6% table and divide by pay periods. Subtract post-tax deductions to get take-home pay.
Ready to put your South Carolina numbers on a pay stub?
Use the same gross pay, federal tax, FICA, South Carolina withholding and deduction details with our paystub generator to create a South Carolina pay stub.
Written by:Rachel Brooks, Tax Forms and W-2 Content Specialist. Last updated: September 25, 2026. Checked against the SCDOR 2026 withholding tables (WH-1603) and IRS Publication 15-T (2026).
Disclaimer: Estimates are for educational use and aren't tax or legal advice. Actual payroll withholding depends on the employee's Form W-4, Form SC W-4, year-to-date wages, benefits, deductions and employer payroll system. For more South Carolina payroll details, see our South Carolina Payroll Guide.
