Your teaching journey doesn’t necessarily need to start and end in the classroom. As an educator, you can grow your career—and your salary—by moving into an advanced teaching role, getting certified to teach additional subjects, becoming a school or district leader, working on education policy… The sky’s the limit!
Want to learn more about career growth possibilities for teachers? Visit our Teacher Career Path Guide for more ideas and options.
Want to stay in the classroom?
If your heart is in the classroom, you can teach and grow into specialized leadership roles. For example, you could become:
- A peer evaluator who offers instructional support and feedback to colleagues.
- A mentor teacher who helps student teachers and early career teachers develop their teaching skills and strategies.
- A lead teacher who runs your academic department at your school.
Many districts provide extra pay for these leadership roles.
Interested in opportunities outside the classroom?
After you have some teaching experience under your belt, you might be curious about shifting your career focus. School or district leadership positions can be a great next step. Assistant principals, principals, curriculum coordinators and superintendents all help South Carolina schools and districts run smoothly to support teachers and students.
These administrative roles also come with their own salary schedules and salary bumps. For example, you could earn:
- $85K–$100K as an elementary school principal in Jasper County School District (13)
- $65K–$97K as a coordinator in Richland One
- $75K–$107K as a middle school assistant principal in Richland One (14)
- $89K–$124K as a high school principal in Rock Hill Schools (15)
These salaries are samples, to give you a sense of the types of jobs and salaries available in school and district leadership.
FAQs
The average high school teacher salary in South Carolina as of May 2022 was $55,680. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession.
What is a teachers salary in South Carolina? ›
As of Apr 12, 2024, the average annual pay for a Teacher in South Carolina is $43,292 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $20.81 an hour. This is the equivalent of $832/week or $3,607/month.
Which school district in SC pays the most? ›
For years, Greenville County Schools has led the state in starting pay for teachers. In FY 22, GCS was #1 with a starting salary of $42,515. In FY 23, the starting teacher salary will be $45,075. All GCS teachers will receive $2,500 in addition to a step increase.
How much do teachers get paid in SC 2024? ›
The proposed 2024-25 fiscal year budget still contains a lot of new spending. It would put $200 million toward raising teacher pay. Every teacher would get a raise and the minimum salary for a starting teacher would be increased to $47,000 a year — a nearly 70% increase from a decade ago.
How much do 8th grade teachers make in South Carolina? ›
Middle School Teacher Salary in South Carolina
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay |
|---|
| Top Earners | $66,348 | $5,529 |
| 75th Percentile | $57,500 | $4,791 |
| Average | $52,063 | $4,338 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,800 | $3,483 |
The highest earners are typically high school level teachers, and the lowest paid are preschool teachers.
Do South Carolina teachers get a pension? ›
All public school teachers in South Carolina have pension coverage through the South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS). SCRS covers 82,362 active employees of public educational institutions, and 56,943 retired school employees and beneficiaries.
What is the hardest school to get into in SC? ›
What city in SC pays the most? ›
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Highest Jobs in South Carolina
| City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|
| North Charleston | $84,585 | $40.67 |
| Anderson | $84,142 | $40.45 |
| Columbia | $83,767 | $40.27 |
| Charleston | $82,262 | $39.55 |
6 more rows$36,474 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $60,625 is the 75th percentile.
In the 2023-24 school year, a teacher in South Carolina with 23 years of experience and a doctoral degree is earning a minimum of $75,493. In North Carolina, a teacher with the same experience and degree is making $53,060 (see the budget salary schedule on p. 142).
What is the retirement age for teachers in South Carolina? ›
You can retire and receive an unreduced monthly retirement benefit once your age and years of service total 90, or at age 65 or older. You can retire early at age 60 and receive a reduced monthly retirement benefit. You must have at least eight years of earned service to receive a benefit.
What state pays the highest teacher salary? ›
New York pays the highest average adjusted teacher salary, and Florida pays the lowest average salary. A dot chart where states are ranked by average teacher salary, adjusted for cost of living. Florida was an outlier compared to other states that pay lower teacher salaries.
How much does a teacher with a Masters make in SC? ›
Master Teacher Salary in South Carolina. $41,300 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $83,500 is the 75th percentile.
Is South Carolina a good place for teachers? ›
South Carolina's best ranking came in public school spending per student, where it ranked 27th. It ranked 29th in pupil-teacher ratio, teachers' income growth potential, and projected competition in year 2024.
Where do teachers get paid the most in SC? ›
Highest paying cities for Teachers near South Carolina
- Columbia, SC. $33.44 per hour. 106 salaries reported.
- Charleston, SC. $32.12 per hour. 45 salaries reported.
- Florence, SC. $23.80 per hour. 5 salaries reported.
- Beaufort, SC. $18.39 per hour. 29 salaries reported.
- Greenville, SC. $17.38 per hour. ...
- Show more nearby cities.
According to this report, South Carolina ranks 37th nationally for average teacher pay and 40th for starting teacher pay. The 2021-2022 school year by the numbers: $54,814: average South Carolina educator salary. $38,929: average South Carolina starting salary for educators.
How much do first year teachers make in SC? ›
The average Entry Level Teacher salary in South Carolina is $60,286 as of March 26, 2024, but the range typically falls between $50,332 and $73,543.
How much do 5th grade teachers get paid in South Carolina? ›
Salaries by years of experience in South Carolina
| Years of experience | Per year |
|---|
| 1 to 2 years | $46,610 |
| 3 to 5 years | - |
| 6 to 9 years | $54,471 |
| More than 10 years | $65,076 |
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