Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$64,050NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$48,426NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,500See state terms
Districts sourced
10Official schedules
South Carolina teachers averaged $64,050 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $48,426.
South Carolina teachers averaged $64,050 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $48,426. The state minimum salary schedule for 2026-27 starts at $50,500 for a bachelor's degree, and districts may pay more. Among the 10 largest districts, bachelor's starting pay on 2026-27 schedules runs from $51,102 in Richland One to $62,587 in Beaufort County. Charleston County's newest posted schedule (2025-26) starts at $64,782 and has the highest doctorate maximum, $125,726.
Richland One · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount.
Step
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
0
$51,102
$55,770
$60,513
1
$51,714
$56,383
$61,125
2
$52,266
$57,345
$62,448
3
$52,540
$57,527
$63,104
4
$52,675
$57,804
$63,523
5
$52,811
$58,081
$63,928
6
$53,206
$58,359
$64,322
7
$53,602
$58,635
$65,834
8
$54,000
$58,913
$67,353
9
$54,573
$59,385
$68,869
10
$55,623
$60,356
$70,408
11
$56,437
$61,516
$71,960
12
$57,487
$62,687
$73,515
13
$58,576
$63,850
$75,067
14
$59,623
$65,019
$76,624
15
$60,716
$66,181
$78,176
16
$61,767
$67,350
$79,731
17
$62,848
$68,514
$81,285
18
$63,896
$69,680
$82,840
19
$64,986
$70,843
$84,391
20
$66,028
$72,011
$85,946
21
$66,585
$73,141
$87,223
22
$67,142
$73,786
$88,003
23
$68,030
$75,075
$89,435
24
$68,685
$75,832
$90,359
25
$69,348
$76,597
$91,290
26
$69,552
$76,823
$91,469
27
$69,943
$76,998
$92,306
28
$70,149
$77,074
$92,397
29
$70,423
$77,375
$92,758
30
$70,629
$77,526
$92,938
31
$70,892
$77,538
$92,966
District pay rankings.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Charleston County School District2025-26
BA start $64,782
Top $125,726
Berkeley County School District2026-27
BA start $57,906
Top $118,051
Beaufort County School District2026-27
BA start $62,587
Top $117,393
Greenville County Schools2026-27
BA start $54,606
Top $111,221
Horry County Schools2026-27
BA start $54,142
Top $106,461
Lexington County School District One2026-27
BA start $52,500
Top $103,974
Aiken County Public School District2026-27
BA start $54,067
Top $103,572
Dorchester School District Two2026-27
BA start $54,000
Top $103,434
Richland School District Two2026-27
BA start $52,019
Top $94,538
Richland One2026-27
BA start $51,102
Top $92,966
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
Charleston County School District
2025-26
$64,782
$125,726
Berkeley County School District
2026-27
$57,906
$118,051
Beaufort County School District
2026-27
$62,587
$117,393
Greenville County Schools
2026-27
$54,606
$111,221
Horry County Schools
2026-27
$54,142
$106,461
Lexington County School District One
2026-27
$52,500
$103,974
Aiken County Public School District
2026-27
$54,067
$103,572
Dorchester School District Two
2026-27
$54,000
$103,434
Richland School District Two
2026-27
$52,019
$94,538
Richland One
2026-27
$51,102
$92,966
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Greenville County Schools2026-27
Charleston County School District2025-26
Horry County Schools2026-27
Berkeley County School District2026-27
Richland School District Two2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
South Carolina average
$64,050
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,500
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
$50,500
South Carolina sets a statewide minimum teacher salary schedule in the annual Appropriations Act (Part IB, Proviso 1.3). For FY 2026-27 it runs from $50,500 to $64,500 for a bachelor's degree (0 to 28+ years), $54,500 to $70,250 for a master's, $56,000 to $72,500 for a master's plus 30 hours, and $58,500 to $80,500 for a doctorate; the FY 2025-26 bachelor's minimum was $48,500. Districts may pay above the minimum. NEA average salary and average starting salary are FY 2024-25. District enrollment is FY 2024-25 135-day average daily membership from the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (statewide charter districts excluded). District figures are 2026-27 except Charleston County, whose newest posted schedule is 2025-26.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find South Carolina district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.