A teacheer sits in a chair in front of a classroom of kindergarteners. She is smiling and pointing to a chart in her hand.

Jobs in South Carolina

Learn how you can start a high-demand career and make a difference for South Carolina students.

Find out how and where you can shape education in South Carolina, and build a sustainable, fulfilling career while you give back to your community.

On this page, get information on:

  • The education landscape in South Carolina
  • Opportunities and benefits for South Carolina educators
  • How to start looking for an education job—and even earn a salary while you get your teaching certificate
  • How to take next steps toward a South Carolina teaching certificate

Education Career Outlook in South Carolina

A teacher checks in on a group of 5 middle school students. The group is working together around a laptop.

South Carolina teaches nearly 800,000 students in over 1,300 schools. (1)(2) At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, public schools had nearly 1,000 open teaching positions—some of which never got filled. (3)

In short, South Carolina needs more educators, from teaching assistants to classroom teachers. If you’re passionate about education and community work, there are big opportunities to make an impact in South Carolina.

Jobs, Benefits and Opportunities for SC Teachers

Learn about where South Carolina schools are currently, benefits for educators and what’s on the horizon.

If you’re inspired to make a difference for students, you can have a big effect working in a critical need subject or geographic area.

Teaching in a critical need area not only means you can deepen your impact—you’ll also be starting a career with strong job security and plenty of options. (You can learn more about current critical need areas on the SC Department of Education Critical Need Areas page.)

Ready to explore job openings in education? Check out the CERRA (Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement) educator job board. There, you’ll find listings for education positions in public schools across the state. You can also visit your local school district’s website to check out current job openings!

In 2021, South Carolina’s average teacher salary was $53,185. (4) As an educator, you can also look forward to financial support outside of your salary. That includes comprehensive health insurance in most districts, a generous retirement plan and housing assistance programs, so you can live in the community where you teach.

Benefits for Critical Need Area Teachers

Teachers in shortage areas often qualify for extra financial aid, such as loan forgiveness. These programs mean that if you teach in a shortage area, you don’t have to pay all your student loans back!

Many districts also offer extra stipends and bonuses to critical need area teachers.

Want to learn more about South Carolina teacher benefits? Visit our Salary & Benefits page for in-depth information on teacher pay and our free downloadable South Carolina Salary & Benefits Report.

South Carolina is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, and that trend is expected to continue in the coming decades. 

But the teacher workforce doesn’t reflect that diversity yet: In 2020, over 75% of South Carolina teachers were white, while over half of students in SC public schools were not. (1)(5)

Why does teacher diversity matter?

Students need teachers who reflect their communities and their identities. Recruiting and retaining more teachers of color is key to making that happen.

According to the Washington Post, “Researchers have found significant positive results when Black and Hispanic students have teachers who match their race or ethnicity: better attendance, fewer suspensions, more positive attitudes, and higher test scores, graduation rates and college attendance. Teachers of color also have higher expectations for students of color, which may fuel the other gains.” (6) 

How you can help

Paraeducators, tutors and teachers of color are crucial for the success of the next generation of students. If that could be you, an education position means you could help shape South Carolina’s future and help South Carolina students thrive.

Whatever your background, as a South Carolina educator, you can help create more inclusive classrooms. Students with disabilities, students who are new to the country and students who live in low-income or rural areas especially need strong advocates and imaginative educators.

If you’re curious about teaching, but not sure if it’s right for you, we have good news: You don’t have to commit right away! There are a lot of ways you can gain education experience and get a sense of the work before you pursue a teaching certificate.

What To Do if You’re Interested in Teaching in South Carolina

If you’re curious about teaching, but not sure if it’s right for you, we have good news: You don’t have to commit right away!

There are a lot of ways you can gain education experience and get a sense of the work before you pursue a teaching certificate. For example, you can consider:

  • Volunteering in classrooms or after-school programs
  • Looking for full-time, non-teacher positions in schools
  • Substituting as a teacher, teacher assistant or other non-full-time position

What do these jobs look like? In the next section, we’ll go over a few classroom roles and what to expect.

Once you’re ready to start applying for education jobs, we recommend visiting the CERRA educator job board or your local school district’s website to find teaching jobs and student support positions throughout the state.

Education Roles in South Carolina

Paraprofessionals—also called paraeducators, teacher’s aides or classroom assistants—work closely with classroom teachers to support students.

As a paraprofessional, you might help plan and schedule class activities, work one-on-one with students to practice skills like reading or math, supervise students during lunchtime or field trips…your role can change daily, so the work is always new and rarely boring.

Becoming a paraprofessional

Many paraprofessional positions require only an associate’s degree or a passing score on the ParaPro Assessment. Visit the SC Department of Education paraprofessional page to learn more about becoming a paraprofessional.

Check your local school district’s website to start looking for paraprofessional positions.

Tutors work with students one-on-one or in small groups. As a tutor, you’ll collaborate with teachers and principals to make student support plans, work closely with students and track student progress. 

Becoming a tutor

To work as a tutor, you’ll generally need at least a high school diploma or GED. Some districts may have more specific qualifications. Visit the website of the district where you want to work and search their jobs portal to see specific openings and requirements.

Substitute teachers, or guest teachers, fill in when full-time teachers can’t be in the classroom. As a substitute, you’ll practice classroom management, lesson planning and instructional skills.

Substitute teaching lets you teach in K-12 classrooms, making it a great way to work with many different age groups and subjects, and see what appeals to you. 

Becoming a substitute teacher

South Carolina does not have a statewide substitute teacher certification process. Check with your local district to find out what qualifications or training you’ll need to work there.

If you have a bachelor’s degree and want to fast-track your South Carolina teaching certificate, consider alternative certification!

What is alternative certification?

Alternative certification programs let you teach in a classroom—and earn a salary—while you get certified. You’ll take coursework outside of school hours, and implement what you’ve learned in your classroom during the day.

What do I need to get my alternative certification? 

South Carolina has a number of alternative certification pathways available. Some programs focus on particular geographic areas or subjects. 

You can look for alternative pathways on the TeachSC Program Explorer (the SC Department of Education Alternative Certification Guidance page also has a list of alternative pathways). Click on the programs that interest you to find eligibility requirements for each.

Need more support before you take your next step? A TeachSC coach can help! Visit our coaching page to set up a free conversation (over email, video or phone, whatever works best for you!) with an experienced South Carolina educator who can give you custom advice.

If you already have your Missouri teaching certificate—or are enrolled in a teaching program—you might be ready to look for a classroom position of your own.

To get started, we recommend checking out the CERRA job board. You can explore job boards with full-time classroom teacher jobs and other district positions across South Carolina. You can also visit the website of the district where you want to teach to see current openings!

Becoming a teacher can sound like a lot—but that’s where TeachSC comes in! We’re here for you every step of the way, from choosing the right program to completing your applications to preparing for certification tests.

How to Become a Certified Teacher in South Carolina

An elementary school teacher helps a student with an art project at a desk.

If you’re wondering about the requirements to become a teacher in SC, you’ve come to the right place.

To become a South Carolina teacher, you’ll need to complete a few steps. Here’s the short version:

  1. Decide what subject and grades you want to teach.
  2. Complete an educator preparation program. 
  3. Pass your teaching certification test.
  4. Submit your teaching application to the state. 

Becoming a teacher can sound like a lot—but that’s where TeachSC comes in! We’re here for you every step of the way, from choosing the right program to completing your applications to preparing for certification tests.

Visit our About Certification page for a full explanation and (free!) downloadable PDF that covers the certification process from start to finish.

Learn About Certification

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References

  1. Active Student Headcounts. South Carolina Department of Education. https://www.ed.sc.gov/data/other/student-counts/active-student-headcoun… 
  2. Report Card Data for Researchers. South Carolina Department of Education. https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fscrepor… 
  3. “South Carolina Annual Educator Supply & Demand Report: November 2021.” Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement. https://www.cerra.org/uploads/1/7/6/8/17684955/2021-22_supply_demand_re… 
  4. “SC Department of Education Update — Fall 2021.” SCASBO 2021 Fall Conference. South Carolina Association of School Business Officials. https://scasbo.net/2024-spring-conference/conferences/
  5. Teacher Data. South Carolina Department of Education. https://ed.sc.gov/data/other/Teacher-Data/#TCRG
  6. Meckler, Laura and Kate Rabinowitz. “America’s schools are more diverse than ever. But the teachers are still mostly white,” The Washington Post. December 27, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/local/education/teacher-di…