What a Difference Two Decades Makes: South Carolina Manufacturing Wages in the Lead

By Brandon Wilkerson, Labor Market Analytics Director 

During the 20th century, the textile industry played a predominate role in South Carolina’s manufacturing economy. Gradually, the state’s industrial base diversified with the addition of the automotive, tire, aircraft, and chemical industries, among others. This transformation was not limited to the type of product coming off the line: manufacturing wages reached new heights, catapulting South Carolina ahead of many other states.

Overtaking States with a Legacy of Manufacturing

The Wall Street Journal, in a recent piece [1] on automakers’ growing interest in the American South, compared South Carolina’s manufacturing wages to those of Michigan over a 20 year interval. South Carolina’s manufacturing wages, in 2003, were 42% behind Michigan. As of 2023, however, South Carolina’s manufacturing wages were 3% ahead of Michigan. Inspired by this reporting and using the same Bureau of Labor Statistics sources as the Wall Street Journal, LMI tracked down the manufacturing wages for New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio – all states, like Michigan, belonging to the legacy of the country’s industrial heartland. In every case, South Carolina climbed from a minimum of 14% behind in 2003, up to a 3% or better lead in 2023.  See the table below for exact details.

Note: Percentages are rounded.

Sources: 2003, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; 2023, Current Employment Statistics

Conclusion

In two decades, South Carolina’s manufacturing wages have caught up to and surpassed several states with deep-rooted manufacturing industries. Strong results like this are yet another sign of South Carolina’s thriving economy, motivated workforce, and collaborative connection between the state’s employers and employees.

[1] https://www.wsj.com/economy/union-membership-south-united-auto-workers-economy-b3d84f97