Your starting salary, or entry level salary, is how much you’ll make in your first year right after your teaching program. You’ll earn a higher starting salary with a master’s degree than you will with a bachelor’s.

In South Carolina, the average teacher starting salary is $42,026. (1) The chart below shows samples of salaries for entry level teachers around South Carolina.
 

Average salary refers to what all teachers make, on average. That includes people who have been in the job for years. South Carolina’s average teacher salary is $57,778. (1)

The chart below shows base salaries for South Carolina teachers with a decade of experience and a master’s degree. Find more examples from around the state in the Salary & Benefits Guide!
 

As a South Carolina teacher, you’ll most likely enroll in the South Carolina State Health Plan. This covers medical, dental, vision and other insurance costs for public school teachers and their families. (4)

Vacation days will depend on your district, but in general, you can expect:

• Spring break
• December holiday break
• National holidays off
• Paid personal & sick days during the school year

You may also get time off during the summer. Teachers use this time to travel, explore professional development, relax or work elsewhere. Some districts offer summer positions for teachers, such as summer school classes or curriculum development jobs.

In South Carolina, you’ll receive retirement funds through the South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority. You can choose between the South Carolina Retirement System and the State Optional Retirement Program.

South Carolina Retirement System

The South Carolina Retirement System is a pension plan, meaning you’ll receive monthly funds from the state after you retire. The longer you’ve worked in the school system, the more you’ll get in retirement. (5)

State Optional Retirement Program

The State Optional Retirement Program works a little differently. This program is more like a traditional IRA, meaning the amount you get in retirement corresponds to how much you contribute. (6)

Stepping into a classroom could mean stepping out of debt. There are a number of loan forgiveness opportunities for teachers. These programs cancel your remaining student loans—meaning you don’t have to pay them back!—in exchange for a commitment to teach for several years.

Perkins Loan Forgiveness

You can get up to 100% of your Perkins Loan forgiven if you teach a shortage area subject in a school that serves low-income students. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you’ve worked full-time in a public service field for 10 years, you may qualify to have your remaining student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Qualifying fields include government service, nonprofits and public education.

Rural Recruitment Initiative

If you teach in a school district that participates in the Rural Recruitment Initiative, you may be eligible for up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for up to seven years, if you have a private loan or if you’ve exhausted your federal loan forgiveness options.

South Carolina Teacher Loan Forgiveness

If you have a South Carolina Teacher Loan, Career Changers Loan or PACE Loan, you could get loan forgiveness funds through the South Carolina Teacher Loan Program. To qualify, you’ll need to teach in a critical need subject area, critical need geographic area or both. 

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program benefits public school teachers with federal student loans.

Teachers in certain shortage areas, including math, science and special education can receive up to $17,500. If you teach a different subject, you can still get up to $5,000 in forgiven loans.

Buying a house is expensive, but there are resources to help teachers find a home in the community where they teach.

Good Neighbor Next Door

The federal government created Good Neighbor Next Door to contribute to community revitalization and to support people in service professions. The U.S. Department of Housing and Development offers a discount of 50% from the list price of qualifying homes.

Palmetto Heroes

The Palmetto Heroes program is available to vital community members, such as veterans, nurses and classroom teachers. Through this state program, homebuyers receive fixed rate mortgages and down payment assistance.

Teacher Next Door Program

The Teacher Next Door Program is designed to help classroom teachers buy a home and become homeowners in the communities where they work. The program offers a wide range of support for educators, including housing grants and home loans.

Homes for Heroes

Homes for Heroes assists educators by making the home buying, selling or refinancing process easier (and saving teachers money in the process)! Learn more about Homes for Heroes.

Want to continue your education or pursue professional development? Many South Carolina school districts provide funds for tuition reimbursement and professional development (such as conferences or trainings) for teachers.

Building your skills can increase both your knowledge and your pay. It also helps districts retain top-notch educators—so it’s a win-win for everyone.

The world’s best brands offer discounts to teachers. Think J. Crew, Madewell, Apple, Jo-Ann Fabrics, AC Moore and Marriott Hotels. That means plane tickets take you further. Cell phone bills and gym memberships cost less. Your wardrobe has more options. And new technology is so much more affordable.

As a state employee, you can start getting discounts with the PerksCard program. Your PerksCard lets you save on services and products from both local and national companies. 

If your heart is in the classroom, you can teach and grow into specialized leadership roles. For example, you could become:

• A peer evaluator who offers instructional support and feedback to colleagues.
• A mentor teacher who helps student teachers and early career teachers develop their teaching skills and strategies.
• A lead teacher who runs your academic department at your school. 

Many districts provide extra pay for these leadership roles.

After you have some experience under your belt, you might be curious about shifting your career focus. School or district leadership positions can be a great next step.

Principals, curriculum coordinators and superintendents help schools and districts run smoothly. These roles also have their own salary schedules—often over six figures!