A report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the Charleston area pays its workers less than the national average, according to 2007 figures. But there's one bright spot: Salaries here are growing faster than average.

So where's the faster growth coming from? Well, part of it is because of high-paying industries coming to town, such as defense contractors and high-tech companies. The Post and Courier has more details on all of that:

"This is something we've been working toward for several years," said Mary Graham, the (Charleston Metro Area Chamber of Commerce's) senior vice president of public policy. "I'm just pleased to see it."

The State newspaper also has a story on the issue, talking about how some other metro areas in South Carolina fared in the report. (Hint: Columbia, not so great ...)