F-1 OPT · South Carolina
F-1 OPT take-home pay in South Carolina (2026)
Pick a salary to see the full breakdown — federal income tax, FICA, South Carolina state income tax, and your annual / monthly / bi-weekly net.
| Gross salary | Take-home | Monthly | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $48,488 | $4,041 | 19.2% | Details → |
| $80,000 | $62,888 | $5,241 | 21.4% | Details → |
| $100,000 | $77,288 | $6,441 | 22.7% | Details → |
| $120,000 | $91,402 | $7,617 | 23.8% | Details → |
| $150,000 | $112,402 | $9,367 | 25.1% | Details → |
| $180,000 | $133,402 | $11,117 | 25.9% | Details → |
| $220,000 | $159,944 | $13,329 | 27.3% | Details → |
| $280,000 | $196,431 | $16,369 | 29.8% | Details → |
| $350,000 | $237,731 | $19,811 | 32.1% | Details → |
| $500,000 | $326,231 | $27,186 | 34.8% | Details → |
How South Carolina state income tax works for F-1 OPT holders
South Carolina charges a single flat rate of 6.00% on taxable income. Unlike the federal system, there are no brackets — every dollar of taxable income is taxed at the same rate. This makes the state tax math simple: $F-1 OPT take-home in South Carolina is dominated by federal tax + FICA, with the flat state component layered on top.
What's different for F-1 OPT holders in South Carolina?
State income tax generally does not distinguish between visa categories — it only looks at where you live and where you work, not your immigration status. A few practical notes for F-1 OPT holders specifically:
- Residency. Most states deem you a tax resident if you are domiciled in the state or spend more than 183 days there during the calendar year, regardless of visa type.
- FICA exemption (federal) ≠ state-tax exemption. Even though you are FICA-exempt at the federal level for 5 years, South Carolina still taxes your wages on its own rules.
- Standard deduction. Many states tie their standard deduction to federal rules — if you can't claim the federal standard deduction as a NRA, you may also be limited at the state level.
Source: dor.sc.gov/