Easily Calculate Your Hourly Pay with the Free South Carolina Paycheck Calculator (2025 Update)

The South Carolina Hourly Paycheck Calculator helps you quickly estimate your take-home pay based on your hourly rate, hours worked, and deductions. This tool is ideal for hourly employees who want to understand how much they’ll actually bring home after taxes, overtime, and deductions.

By factoring in South Carolina’s state tax rates, federal income tax, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) contributions, this calculator gives you a clear breakdown of your paycheck. It’s simple, fast, and essential for anyone managing their personal budget or verifying payroll accuracy.

How the South Carolina Hourly Paycheck Calculator Works

This calculator determines your net paycheck (take-home pay) by starting with your gross earnings and then subtracting all relevant taxes and deductions. It uses your hourly wage, hours worked, and pay frequency to compute your total pay per period.

The Basic Formula

Net Pay = (Hourly Rate × Regular Hours) + (Overtime Hours × Hourly Rate × 1.5) − (Taxes + Pre-Tax Deductions)

Each field in the calculator helps ensure your paycheck estimate is precise. Compare results across job types using the Illinois Weekly Calculator for hourly or weekly wages.

Input Field Breakdown

1. Hourly Rate ($)

Enter your hourly wage before taxes or deductions. For instance, if you earn $20 per hour, enter “20.00”.

2. Hours Worked per Pay Period

Enter the total regular hours you work in one pay period. A full-time biweekly employee usually works about 80 hours (40 hours per week).

3. Overtime Hours (1.5×)

If you worked overtime, enter those hours here. The calculator automatically applies the 1.5× overtime pay rate required by federal labor laws.

4. Pay Frequency

Select how often you get paid (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly). This helps the calculator adjust the total pay and taxes per paycheck.

5. Filing Status

Choose your federal filing status (Single, Married, or Head of Household). This determines your federal income tax withholding. To make sure you’re not overpaying taxes, check your details with the City Paycheck Calculator.

6. Pre-Tax Deductions ($ per Period)

Enter any pre-tax deductions, such as:

• 401(k) or 403(b) retirement contributions
• Health or dental insurance premiums
• Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions

These deductions lower your taxable income, meaning you’ll pay less in taxes overall.

Once you click Calculate Take-Home Pay, the calculator applies federal, state, and FICA rates to display your estimated net pay.

Example Calculation (Verification Section)

Here’s an example to help you see how the South Carolina Hourly Paycheck Calculator works.

Example Inputs

• Hourly Rate: $20.00
• Hours Worked: 80
• Overtime Hours: 5
• Pay Frequency: Weekly
• Filing Status: Single
• Pre-Tax Deductions: $150

Step 1: Calculate Gross Pay

Regular Pay = 80 hours × $20 = $1,600
Overtime Pay = 5 hours × $20 × 1.5 = $150
Total Gross Pay = $1,750

Step 2: Subtract Pre-Tax Deductions

$1,750 − $150 = $1,600 taxable income

Step 3: Apply Taxes

• Federal Income Tax (approx. 12%) = $192
• Social Security (6.2%) = $99.20
• Medicare (1.45%) = $23.20
• South Carolina State Tax (approx. 4.5%) = $72

Total Taxes = $386.40

Step 4: Calculate Net Pay

$1,600 − $386.40 = $1,213.60 take-home pay

Result

Your estimated weekly net pay would be $1,213.60, or roughly $63,107 annually after taxes and deductions.

This example helps you verify how the calculator applies standard South Carolina and federal tax rates to determine your take-home pay. For those earning commissions, the California With Commissions Calculator helps estimate after-tax pay.

Benefits of Using This Calculator

• Accurate and Instant: Get a real-time estimate of your South Carolina take-home pay.
• Comprehensive: Accounts for overtime, deductions, and taxes automatically.
• User-Friendly: Simple layout that works for both employees and employers.
• Time-Saving: Avoid complex tax math or spreadsheets.
• Perfect for Planning: Helps you manage your income, savings, and payroll expectations.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Helpful Tips

• Always include pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or health insurance to get a realistic net pay.
• Recalculate your paycheck whenever your hours, deductions, or tax filing status change.
• Check your overtime pay—South Carolina follows federal rules requiring 1.5× pay for overtime hours.
• Use the calculator to compare different pay frequencies (weekly vs. biweekly) to understand your cash flow.

Common Mistakes

• Entering monthly deductions instead of per-pay-period amounts.
• Forgetting to include overtime hours, which can lead to underestimating income.
• Using gross income instead of net pay when planning budgets. Workers in different industries often rely on the Massachusetts Bi-Weekly Calculator for paycheck projections.
• Ignoring South Carolina’s progressive state income tax, which can slightly vary depending on income.

Common Questions / FAQs

1. What is South Carolina’s state income tax rate?
South Carolina uses a progressive income tax system, ranging from 0% to 6.5%, depending on your income level.

2. Does this calculator include federal taxes?
Yes, it automatically includes federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%).

3. How is overtime pay calculated in South Carolina?
Overtime is paid at 1.5× your regular hourly rate for any hours worked over 40 per week.

4. What are pre-tax deductions, and how do they help?
Pre-tax deductions (like 401(k) or HSA contributions) reduce your taxable income, meaning you pay less in federal and state taxes.

5. Can employers use this calculator?
Yes, employers can use it to estimate payroll costs and verify employee paychecks before running payroll.

Conclusion

The South Carolina Hourly Paycheck Calculator is a valuable tool for anyone earning hourly wages in the state. It gives you a clear understanding of your net pay after taxes and deductions, so you can plan your finances with confidence.