Highest-paying jobs in South Carolina
The highest published median in South Carolina is for general internal medicine physicians, at $359,500 a year. For 4 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $46,490, against $50,980 nationally.
South Carolina · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $46,490
- Mean / yr
- $59,280
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 93.7
- Median, price-adjusted
- $49,590
- Adjusted rank
- 48 of 51
- Jobs
- 2,305,080
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in South Carolina
SC · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 709
| No. | Occupation | Median in SC | U.S. median | Employed in SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $359,500 | $256,560 | 1,260 |
| 2 | Neurologists | $352,680 | $248,560 | 40 |
| 3 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $341,960 | $335,550 | 80 |
| 4 | Orthodontists | $311,450 | $289,140 | — |
| 5 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $302,340 | $292,910 | 350 |
| 6 | Physicians, All Other | $274,480 | $265,930 | 4,510 |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetists | $265,480 | $236,590 | 1,010 |
| 8 | Dermatologists | $259,990 | $328,730 | 180 |
| 9 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $246,770 | $224,990 | 70 |
| 10 | Family Medicine Physicians | $239,200 | $244,180 | 1,200 |
| 11 | Anesthesiologists | $238,970 | $391,490 | 950 |
| 12 | Psychiatrists | $237,250 | $281,870 | 200 |
| 13 | Physicians, Pathologists | $236,950 | $312,400 | 80 |
| 14 | Pediatricians, General | $217,120 | $210,040 | 420 |
| 15 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $214,160 | $300,080 | 100 |
| 16 | Radiologists | $174,480 | $420,860 | — |
| 17 | Life Scientists, All Other | $169,440 | $93,750 | — |
| 18 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $169,040 | $171,270 | 3,200 |
| 19 | Chief Executives | $168,840 | $213,990 | 1,740 |
| 20 | Podiatrists | $167,110 | $160,300 | 70 |
| 21 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $162,400 | $128,500 | 110 |
| 22 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $160,860 | $175,140 | 4,930 |
| 23 | Dentists, General | $158,640 | $170,950 | 2,140 |
| 24 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $156,300 | $133,660 | — |
| 25 | Optometrists | $145,950 | $136,570 | 480 |
| 26 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $143,580 | $232,140 | 110 |
| 27 | Marketing Managers | $143,290 | $166,790 | 3,760 |
| 28 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $141,130 | $122,570 | 70 |
| 29 | Medical Dosimetrists | $140,530 | $147,470 | 60 |
| 30 | Physicists | $138,400 | $172,250 | 420 |
| 31 | Aerospace Engineers | $137,030 | $134,960 | 650 |
| 32 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $136,990 | $112,230 | 40 |
| 33 | Psychologists, All Other | $136,990 | $110,840 | 140 |
| 34 | Financial Managers | $136,160 | $166,570 | 9,020 |
| 35 | Pharmacists | $135,700 | $140,910 | 5,320 |
| 36 | Computer Network Architects | $134,990 | $134,050 | 1,950 |
| 37 | Purchasing Managers | $131,720 | $148,080 | 830 |
| 38 | Natural Sciences Managers | $131,140 | $167,220 | 780 |
| 39 | Sales Managers | $131,080 | $148,270 | 9,340 |
| 40 | Database Architects | $130,000 | $139,500 | 1,160 |
| 41 | Managers, All Other | $129,960 | $141,900 | 2,210 |
| 42 | Software Developers | $129,450 | $135,980 | 13,230 |
| 43 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $126,980 | $140,300 | 430 |
| 44 | Industrial Production Managers | $126,880 | $126,060 | 6,390 |
| 45 | Nuclear Engineers | $126,570 | $133,970 | 1,440 |
| 46 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $125,110 | $161,740 | 690 |
| 47 | Administrative Services Managers | $124,320 | $114,130 | — |
| 48 | Human Resources Managers | $124,290 | $149,280 | 2,400 |
| 49 | Nurse Practitioners | $123,290 | $132,300 | 5,670 |
| 50 | Physician Assistants | $122,490 | $135,880 | 2,250 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in South Carolina: Cardiologists, Surgeons, All Other, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in South Carolina
- General Internal Medicine Physicians — $359,500 (1,260 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $274,480 (4,510 jobs)
- Nurse Anesthetists — $265,480 (1,010 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $239,200 (1,200 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $169,040 (3,200 jobs)
- Chief Executives — $168,840 (1,740 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $160,860 (4,930 jobs)
- Dentists, General — $158,640 (2,140 jobs)
- Marketing Managers — $143,290 (3,760 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $136,160 (9,020 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.