Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in Charleston, SC

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How much does a Criminal Defense Lawyer make in Charleston, SC?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charleston, SC is $100,041. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $85,739 to $116,158, with most professionals earning between $72,717 and $130,833.

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Salary range for an Criminal Defense Lawyer
$85,739 to $116,158
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What is a Criminal Defense Lawyer?

A Criminal Defense Lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts for appointment to represent indigent persons; the latter are generally called public defenders. The terminology is imprecise because each jurisdiction may have different practices with various levels of input from state and federal law or consent decrees. Some jurisdictions use a rotating system of appointments, with ju...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary By Experience Levels in Charleston, SC

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary By Level of Education in Charleston, SC

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

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Average Salary Range for Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charleston, SC

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
85739
116158
100041

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
88534
123665
104625
What is the average salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer in 2025?
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charleston, SC. The base salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer ranges from $85,739 to $116,158 with the average base salary of $100,041. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $88,534 to $123,665 with the average total cash compensation of $104,625.

View Average Salary for Criminal Defense Lawyer as table

Average Salary Average Salary Range
Base Salary $100,041 $85,739 - $116,158
Bonus $4,584 $2,796 - $7,506
Total Pay $104,625 $88,534 - $123,665
* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.
* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary Near Charleston, SC

CITY, STATE AVERAGE SALARY RANGE COMPARE TO Charleston, SC
CITY, STATE North Charleston, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $85,739 - $116,158 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC 0%
CITY, STATE Mount Pleasant, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $85,739 - $116,158 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC 0%
CITY, STATE Goose Creek, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $85,612 - $115,987 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC
CITY, STATE Summerville, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $85,359 - $115,645 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC
CITY, STATE Hilton Head Island, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $83,382 - $112,966 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC
CITY, STATE Sumter, SC AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $79,834 - $108,159 COMPARE TO Charleston, SC
See salaries for Criminal Defense Lawyer in locations close to Charleston, SC. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.

View Salary for Similar Jobs to Criminal Defense Lawyer in Charleston, SC

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JOB TITLE LOCATION MINIMUM SALARY MAXIMUM SALARY
JOB TITLE Criminal Lawyer LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $85,739 MAXIMUM SALARY $116,158
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Investigator LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $65,466 MAXIMUM SALARY $85,067
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Attorney LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $80,148 MAXIMUM SALARY $110,470
JOB TITLE Criminal Defense Paralegal LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $79,188 MAXIMUM SALARY $97,533
JOB TITLE Criminal Investigator LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $62,167 MAXIMUM SALARY $80,780
JOB TITLE Defense Attorney LOCATION Charleston, SC MINIMUM SALARY $85,739 MAXIMUM SALARY $116,158
The Criminal Defense Lawyer job could be listed using titles that are not exactly the same, but actually are for the same or very similar job. Here are some job titles in Charleston, SC that might be a good fit for the type of job and salary you are looking for.

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85739
116158

 

About Charleston, South Carolina    Charleston is the oldest and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Cha....More

Charleston, South Carolina  area prices were up 1.5% from a year ago

Criminal Defense Lawyer Salary in popular cities: Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant

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