Careers in South Carolina
South Carolina’s regional price level is below the national average (index 93.749, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).
Unemployment rate: 4.1% · Labor force participation: 59.3% · 2,582,451 people employed (2026-07, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).
Highest-Paying Careers
See full list →- 1General Internal Medicine Physicians$359,500
- 2Neurologists$352,680
- 3Emergency Medicine Physicians$341,960
- 4Orthodontists$311,450
- 5Obstetricians and Gynecologists$302,340
Largest Occupations
See full list →- 1Retail Salespersons67,310 employed
- 2Fast Food and Counter Workers65,070 employed
- 3Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand56,700 employed
- 4Cashiers56,550 employed
- 5Customer Service Representatives51,000 employed
Highest Concentration
See full list →- 1Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders9.80× national avg
- 2Nuclear Technicians7.79× national avg
- 3Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders7.78× national avg
- 4Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders6.88× national avg
- 5Nuclear Engineers6.35× national avg
Best Purchasing Power
See full list →cost-of-living adjusted
- 1General Internal Medicine Physicians$383,471
- 2Neurologists$376,196
- 3Emergency Medicine Physicians$364,761
- 4Orthodontists$332,217
- 5Obstetricians and Gynecologists$322,499
Strongest Opportunity Score
See full list →- 1Chemical Technicians95.9 / 100
- 2Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks91.2 / 100
- 3Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians89.8 / 100
- 4Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders89.5 / 100
- 5Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders88.1 / 100
Sources
Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score is a Career Atlas USA calculation — see methodology.