What Is the Average Salary of Teachers in South Carolina?
Teachers in South Carolina were paid an average salary of $47,421 during the 2009-2010 school year. Compensation in the South Carolina school system varies by county and is usually determined by a teacher's years of experience and level of education. Various statistics show that although South Carolina teachers' wages are not the highest in the nation, they are usually indexed annually for inflation.
Other People Are Reading
-
Salary Determinants
-
The South Carolina Department of Education publishes a salary schedule each academic year. These schedules provide an annual salary amount for teachers based on their level of education, years of teaching experience and the county they teach in. The amounts in this annual schedule are proscribed minimums only, so it is possible a teacher could be paid more than what the schedule suggests. The average starting salary for a teacher in South Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year was $27,911.
Wage Increases
-
Teachers in South Carolina have seen their wages increase from an average of $27,717 in 1990 to $47,421 in 2010. Yearly raises hovered between 0.5 and 4 percent until 2009, when budget constraints meant that teachers received no increase in pay, even to account for inflation. The annual wage adjustments based on inflation came from data provided by federal officials up until the 2001-2002 school year, when the state started calculating the rate.
-
Education Levels
-
In the 2007-2008 school year, South Carolina Department of Education records show that 27,631 of the state's 50,000 teachers had a master's degree. Another 492 had earned a Ph.D. These teachers were more likely to earn higher-than-average salaries. Eighty-one percent of South Carolina teachers were female in 2008.
Salary Classifications
-
Teachers in South Carolina are put on a six-category pay scale that combines a teacher's education level with the number of years she has been teaching. It also distinguishes among teachers who have completed The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence certification process. Teachers with bachelor's or master's degrees who have completed this certification are classified separately from their peers with the same level of education.
Considerations
-
Teachers in South Carolina can achieve tenure after two years of teaching, meaning they can be dismissed only if an administrator shows cause. This provision means that although South Carolina teachers aren't the highest paid in the country, they enjoy the prospect of almost continuously renewed contracts after two years of service.
-
References
- South Carolina Department of Education: "Quick Facts 2007-2008"
- South Carolina Department of Education, Historical Data: "SC Average Teacher Salaries"
- South Carolina Department of Education, Historical Data: 2008-09 Statewide Average Salary Summary"
- South Carolina Department of Education: "District Teacher Salary Schedules 2009-2010"
- South Carolina Department of Education: "Base Student Costs Calculation"
Resources
- Photo Credit keyboard with -salary- button image by air from Fotolia.com
