Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Anderson, SC MSA — October 2026
Anderson outpaces the state as industrial investment lifts logistics pay.
Anderson County unemployment fell to 3.7% and the metro's 3.3% MSA rate beats both the 4.0% state and 4.1% national figures, as Warehouse Manager pay climbed to $78,053 on the back of the incoming Gateway Commerce Center.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 3.3% — Greenville-Anderson-Greer MSA, Sept. 2026, vs 4.1% national
- Anderson County unemployment: 3.7% — Down from 4.1% in 2025
- Metro annual job growth: 9,100 jobs (+1.9%) — Largest gain of any SC metro, year through July 2026
- SC labor force size: 2,679,964 — Record high, Sept. 2026, fastest-growing in U.S.
Key takeaways
Anderson's labor market is outperforming the state on multiple fronts.
A 3.3% MSA unemployment rate sits below both the 4.0% state figure and 4.1% national rate, while the metro's 9,100-job annual gain led all South Carolina metros through July. That combination signals a local economy absorbing new capacity faster than most peer markets in the state.
Industrial investment is concentrating wage gains in logistics and trades.
Warehouse Manager pay rose moderately to $78,053 and Electrician pay climbed to $62,400 locally, both tracking the Bosch expansion and Gateway Commerce Center buildout. Pay movement in these categories offers a more direct read on industrial momentum than the unemployment rate alone.
Lower-wage service pay is softening even as the headline market tightens.
Food Service Worker advertised pay fell significantly to $28,009 and Retail Cashier pay held flat at $25,425, diverging from the tightening seen in manufacturing and logistics. Consistent with state data showing leisure and hospitality still adding jobs, this points to a local economy expanding unevenly across wage tiers.
Software Engineer pay decline bears watching against a thin local tech base.
Metro pay fell moderately to $129,913, a wider gap against the $154,403 national median than in past months. Given Anderson's limited technology employer base, this may reflect a handful of job ads, a signal of hiring demand (one ad often covers several openings), shifting the metro figure, a reminder to treat small-sample categories cautiously.
Median advertised pay by role — Anderson, SC MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $22,264 | $26,833 | $28,683 | Moderate increase | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $23,920 | $25,425 | $27,040 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $31,200 | $37,440 | $42,640 | Moderate increase | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $56,114 | $79,729 | $87,500 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $28,449 | $34,949 | $43,675 | Significant increase | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $33,611 | $36,400 | $37,440 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $55,120 | $62,400 | $70,119 | Moderate increase | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $29,084 | $32,383 | $34,450 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $31,904 | $38,741 | $39,520 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $25,219 | $28,009 | $29,120 | Significant decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $32,240 | $36,400 | $41,315 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $33,748 | $39,520 | $42,750 | Significant increase | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $53,040 | $60,320 | $62,400 | Stable | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $78,834 | $91,574 | $101,647 | Moderate increase | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $103,928 | $129,913 | $141,933 | Moderate decline | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $99,179 | $137,912 | $155,363 | Stable | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $56,894 | $60,451 | $66,651 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $65,778 | $70,476 | $78,980 | Stable | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $55,444 | $60,143 | $67,105 | Significant decline | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $43,680 | $100,000 | $150,000 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $74,879 | $82,540 | $82,955 | Moderate increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $28,890 | $53,823 | $61,877 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $62,500 | $86,000 | $104,477 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager | $77,318 | $78,053 | $78,053 | Moderate increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $72,756 | $89,500 | $101,690 | Stable | $98,302 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $64,023 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $62,816 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $32,069 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $52,000 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $71,760 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $53,146 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $54,678 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $41,600 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $33,604 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Government | $63,014 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Anderson County's unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in September, with the broader Greenville-Anderson-Greer MSA at 3.3% — well below the 4.1% national rate — as manufacturing and logistics investment continues to pull capacity into the metro, highlighted by Bosch's $45 million expansion and the Fall 2026 delivery of the Anderson Gateway Commerce Center industrial park. Labor supply remains constrained even as payrolls grow: the metro added 9,100 jobs (1.9%) over the year through July, the largest gain of any South Carolina MSA, while South Carolina's labor force hit a record 2,679,964 statewide in September, suggesting new entrants are being absorbed quickly.
What it means
Advertised wage data shows uneven momentum across the metro's basket — Warehouse Manager pay up moderately to $78,053 and Marketing Specialist up significantly to $100,000 locally (above the national median), while Software Engineer pay fell moderately to $129,913 and Food Service Worker pay declined significantly to $28,009 — a pattern consistent with capital flowing into logistics and advanced manufacturing roles while lower-wage service segments soften. For commerce leaders evaluating expansion or investment timing, a 3.3% metro unemployment rate alongside continued industrial park and plant investment points to a market that still has room to absorb new activity, but tightening most acutely in skilled trades and logistics management. Current conditions suggest monitoring whether wage gains in logistics and manufacturing-adjacent roles persist as the Gateway Commerce Center comes online, since that will signal whether the metro's labor supply can keep pace with announced capital investment.
Looking ahead
Expected: Anderson Gateway Commerce Center's Fall 2026 delivery should begin showing up in payroll and advertised-pay data for warehouse and logistics categories over the next two reporting cycles. Commerce leaders tracking industrial absorption should watch whether wage gains in these categories hold or accelerate as the facility fills.
Emerging pressure point: South Carolina's 51 WARN notices through October, concentrated in manufacturing, food & hospitality and transportation, have not yet produced a visible Anderson-specific filing, but the Electrolux plant remains idled locally. Any statewide manufacturing layoff activity reaching Anderson would be the first material test of the metro's current tightness.
Worth watching: National H-1B filings tied to Techtronic Cordless GP, Anderson's largest sponsor, declined 67% year-over-year in Q1 following the federal fee increase. Continued contraction in skilled-visa hiring at a major local manufacturer is a bare fact worth tracking for its effect on specialized technical labor supply, independent of any policy position.
Potential inflection point: Real wage erosion nationally — 1.5% earnings growth against 3.5% CPI — has not yet shown clearly in Anderson's data, where several categories posted gains above national medians. Watch whether local wage momentum in manufacturing and logistics is enough to offset inflation pressure on household spending power through year-end.
Sources
- SC Department of Employment & Workforce — Greenville-Anderson-Greer MSA unemployment at 3.3% in September 2026
- SC Department of Employment & Workforce — Metro added 9,100 jobs (1.9%) over year through July 2026, largest SC metro gain
- SC Department of Employment & Workforce — South Carolina labor force reached record 2,679,964 in September 2026
- H1BScope — Techtronic Cordless GP H-1B filings declined 67% year-over-year in Q1 FY2026
- WARN Act notice tracker — 51 WARN notices affecting 7,206 employees in South Carolina through October 2026
- Homes by Gavin Economic Analysis — Bosch $45 million expansion and Anderson Gateway Commerce Center Fall 2026 delivery
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
Free to read and cite with attribution to WageScape. Terms of use.