Unstructured Data Engineer.
Charleston.
$150,000
median salary, 1% below the national average
$114,000 to $198,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Charleston is 2% cheaper than the national average. For Unstructured Data Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $150,000, with the full range spanning $114,000 to $198,000. Unstructured data engineers specialize in processing text, images, audio, and video at scale for AI applications. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $135,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$98,000
to $120,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$128,000
to $158,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$165,000
to $195,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$188,000
to $233,000
Salary trend
+4% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$150,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $181,000
How Charleston compares
Charleston, SC
$150,000
Cost of living: 2% below average
National Average
$152,000
Charleston is $2,000 below
Unstructured Data Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Charleston
What you should know
Here is what the Unstructured Data Engineer market actually looks like in Charleston. Charleston is one of the South's fastest growing tech hubs, with Boeing, Volvo, and a wave of software companies establishing operations. The city's port drives significant logistics employment. Charleston's quality of life, moderate costs, and growing tech scene attract relocating professionals from across the country. Unstructured data engineers specialize in processing text, images, audio, and video at scale for AI applications. Salary is driven by the diversity of data types handled and the scale of processing pipelines. Engineers with experience in document parsing, OCR systems, and multimedia processing for LLM training earn 10 to 20% premiums over structured data specialists.
Junior unstructured data engineers earn $115,000 to $135,000. Engineers with 3 to 5 years of multimedia data pipeline experience reach $152,000 to $200,000. Senior engineers and platform leads earn $205,000 to $270,000, while staff engineers and directors of data processing infrastructure can command $280,000 to $360,000. In Charleston, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Tech companies offer equity of 15 to 25% of base salary with standard vesting schedules. Annual bonuses range from 10 to 15%. Some firms provide compute credits and tool budgets of $5,000 to $15,000 for experimenting with new unstructured data processing technologies. And on the tax side: south Carolina's top income tax rate is 6.4%. Charleston has no city income tax. The state rate is moderate, and the affordable cost of living keeps net pay competitive. When someone quotes you $150,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight the Boeing and Volvo ecosystem when negotiating. Manufacturing and engineering employers in Charleston benchmark against national aerospace pay scales. The range for Unstructured Data Engineers in Charleston runs from $114,000 to $198,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A AI Enablement & Literacy Lead in Charleston earns $149,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Charleston is Chief AI Officer at $301,000
Common questions.
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