A complete 2026 pay reference for South Carolina: 100 occupations across tech, healthcare, finance, trades, and more, ranked by median annual salary.
Sorted highest to lowest. Click any role for detailed percentiles, experience tiers, and metro breakdown.
| # | Job | Category | Median 2026 | 25th % | 75th % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CEO (Mid-Market) | Business & Management | $448,100 | $340,600 | $582,600 |
| 2 | Surgeon | Healthcare | $368,700 | $280,200 | $479,300 |
| 3 | Chief Financial Officer | Finance | $337,500 | $256,500 | $438,700 |
| 4 | Physician (MD/DO) | Healthcare | $237,700 | $180,700 | $309,000 |
| 5 | Corporate Lawyer | Legal | $202,700 | $154,000 | $263,500 |
| 6 | Investment Banker | Finance | $183,800 | $139,700 | $239,000 |
| 7 | Dentist | Healthcare | $174,600 | $132,700 | $227,000 |
| 8 | AI Engineer | Technology | $173,800 | $132,100 | $226,000 |
| 9 | Machine Learning Engineer | Technology | $159,000 | $120,900 | $206,700 |
| 10 | Senior Software Engineer | Technology | $155,300 | $118,000 | $201,900 |
| 11 | Site Reliability Engineer | Technology | $149,800 | $113,800 | $194,700 |
| 12 | IT Manager | Technology | $146,100 | $111,000 | $189,900 |
| 13 | Controller | Finance | $143,300 | $108,900 | $186,300 |
| 14 | Judge / Magistrate | Legal | $143,300 | $108,900 | $186,300 |
| 15 | Management Consultant | Business & Management | $141,900 | $107,800 | $184,500 |
| 16 | Product Manager | Technology | $140,500 | $106,800 | $182,700 |
| 17 | Lawyer / Attorney | Legal | $139,500 | $106,000 | $181,400 |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineer | Engineering | $138,200 | $105,000 | $179,600 |
| 19 | Sales Engineer | Sales | $138,200 | $105,000 | $179,600 |
| 20 | Data Scientist | Technology | $136,800 | $104,000 | $177,900 |
| 21 | Marketing Manager | Business & Management | $135,400 | $102,900 | $176,000 |
| 22 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $133,900 | $101,800 | $174,100 |
| 23 | Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $132,600 | $100,800 | $172,300 |
| 24 | Data Engineer | Technology | $131,300 | $99,800 | $170,700 |
| 25 | Cloud Engineer (AWS/Azure) | Technology | $131,300 | $99,800 | $170,700 |
| 26 | Sales Manager | Business & Management | $128,800 | $97,900 | $167,500 |
| 27 | DevOps Engineer | Technology | $127,600 | $97,000 | $165,900 |
| 28 | Physician Assistant (PA) | Healthcare | $126,100 | $95,900 | $164,000 |
| 29 | Nurse Practitioner (NP) | Healthcare | $124,200 | $94,400 | $161,400 |
| 30 | HR Manager | Business & Management | $123,200 | $93,700 | $160,200 |
| 31 | Aerospace Engineer | Engineering | $123,200 | $93,700 | $160,200 |
| 32 | Software Engineer | Technology | $122,000 | $92,800 | $158,700 |
| 33 | Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | Technology | $122,000 | $92,800 | $158,700 |
| 34 | Actuary | Finance | $120,700 | $91,700 | $156,900 |
| 35 | Backend Developer | Technology | $120,200 | $91,300 | $156,200 |
| 36 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $118,400 | $90,000 | $153,900 |
| 37 | Cybersecurity Analyst | Technology | $118,300 | $89,900 | $153,800 |
| 38 | Full-Stack Developer | Technology | $115,600 | $87,800 | $150,200 |
| 39 | General Manager | Business & Management | $113,900 | $86,600 | $148,100 |
| 40 | Chemical Engineer | Engineering | $110,200 | $83,700 | $143,200 |
| 41 | Frontend Developer | Technology | $109,100 | $82,900 | $141,800 |
| 42 | Construction Manager | Skilled Trades | $104,800 | $79,600 | $136,200 |
| 43 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $104,600 | $79,500 | $135,900 |
| 44 | Database Administrator (DBA) | Technology | $103,500 | $78,700 | $134,600 |
| 45 | College Professor | Education | $102,800 | $78,100 | $133,600 |
| 46 | School Principal | Education | $102,800 | $78,100 | $133,600 |
| 47 | Operations Manager | Business & Management | $100,800 | $76,600 | $131,100 |
| 48 | Supply Chain Manager | Business & Management | $100,800 | $76,600 | $131,100 |
| 49 | Art Director | Creative & Media | $99,900 | $75,900 | $129,800 |
| 50 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $99,000 | $75,200 | $128,600 |
| 51 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $99,000 | $75,200 | $128,700 |
| 52 | Project Manager (PMP) | Business & Management | $98,000 | $74,500 | $127,400 |
| 53 | Biomedical Engineer | Engineering | $98,000 | $74,500 | $127,400 |
| 54 | UX / Product Designer | Technology | $97,100 | $73,800 | $126,200 |
| 55 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $95,200 | $72,400 | $123,800 |
| 56 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $95,200 | $72,400 | $123,800 |
| 57 | Data Analyst | Technology | $94,300 | $71,700 | $122,600 |
| 58 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $93,100 | $70,800 | $121,100 |
| 59 | Financial Advisor | Finance | $92,400 | $70,200 | $120,100 |
| 60 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $91,500 | $69,500 | $118,900 |
| 61 | QA / Test Engineer | Technology | $90,600 | $68,900 | $117,800 |
| 62 | Business Analyst | Business & Management | $88,700 | $67,400 | $115,300 |
| 63 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $85,400 | $64,900 | $111,000 |
| 64 | Registered Nurse (RN) | Healthcare | $83,400 | $63,400 | $108,500 |
| 65 | Insurance Underwriter | Finance | $83,000 | $63,000 | $107,800 |
| 66 | Animator | Creative & Media | $81,400 | $61,800 | $105,800 |
| 67 | Tax Accountant | Finance | $81,100 | $61,600 | $105,400 |
| 68 | Credit Analyst | Finance | $79,200 | $60,200 | $102,900 |
| 69 | Accountant / CPA | Finance | $77,300 | $58,700 | $100,500 |
| 70 | Respiratory Therapist | Healthcare | $75,700 | $57,500 | $98,400 |
| 71 | Sales Representative | Sales | $72,800 | $55,300 | $94,700 |
| 72 | Police Officer | Public Service | $71,400 | $54,300 | $92,800 |
| 73 | Radiologic Technologist | Healthcare | $69,900 | $53,100 | $90,800 |
| 74 | Hotel Manager | Hospitality | $69,200 | $52,600 | $89,900 |
| 75 | Electrician | Skilled Trades | $66,000 | $50,100 | $85,800 |
| 76 | High School Teacher | Education | $64,700 | $49,200 | $84,100 |
| 77 | Special Education Teacher | Education | $64,700 | $49,200 | $84,100 |
| 78 | Plumber | Skilled Trades | $64,000 | $48,700 | $83,200 |
| 79 | Video Editor | Creative & Media | $62,900 | $47,800 | $81,700 |
| 80 | Social Media Manager | Creative & Media | $62,900 | $47,800 | $81,700 |
| 81 | Interior Designer | Creative & Media | $62,900 | $47,800 | $81,700 |
| 82 | Elementary Teacher | Education | $62,800 | $47,700 | $81,700 |
| 83 | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate | $61,000 | $46,400 | $79,300 |
| 84 | School Counselor | Education | $60,900 | $46,300 | $79,200 |
| 85 | Heavy Equipment Operator | Skilled Trades | $60,200 | $45,700 | $78,200 |
| 86 | Chef / Head Cook | Hospitality | $59,600 | $45,300 | $77,500 |
| 87 | Firefighter | Public Service | $59,000 | $44,800 | $76,700 |
| 88 | Paralegal | Legal | $58,400 | $44,400 | $76,000 |
| 89 | Medical Lab Technician | Healthcare | $58,200 | $44,200 | $75,700 |
| 90 | HVAC Technician | Skilled Trades | $58,200 | $44,200 | $75,700 |
| 91 | Graphic Designer | Creative & Media | $57,300 | $43,600 | $74,500 |
| 92 | Social Worker | Public Service | $57,100 | $43,400 | $74,200 |
| 93 | Carpenter | Skilled Trades | $56,300 | $42,800 | $73,200 |
| 94 | Content Writer / Copywriter | Creative & Media | $53,600 | $40,800 | $69,700 |
| 95 | Welder | Skilled Trades | $50,500 | $38,300 | $65,600 |
| 96 | Auto Mechanic | Skilled Trades | $50,500 | $38,300 | $65,600 |
| 97 | Photographer | Creative & Media | $44,400 | $33,700 | $57,700 |
| 98 | Administrative Assistant | Administrative | $43,400 | $33,000 | $56,400 |
| 99 | Medical Assistant | Healthcare | $42,700 | $32,400 | $55,500 |
| 100 | Customer Service Rep | Administrative | $37,700 | $28,700 | $49,000 |
→ See top 25 highest-paying jobs in South Carolina (with growth outlook)
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