The moment has never been better than now for South Carolina residents to begin a new healthcare career in South Carolina. Medical field professions are projected to be the state’s fastest growing according to the South Carolina Department of Labor. The state’s growing healthcare industry is far from one-of-a-kind, however, as a similar trend is playing out around the United States. Demand for new employees is near historic levels in most towns and cities. As a matter of fact, the nationwide need for healthcare workers is so great that the 2018 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) states that up to 50% of openings are currently unfilled across the nation.
Starting a career in healthcare in South Carolina
The swift expansion of the healthcare industry in South Carolina plays a part in the 18% growth rate that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts for the United States by 2026. The historic growth in the healthcare industry is being powered by the United States’s need to take care of an aging adult population. This scenario has generated all kinds of opportunities for aspiring workers of all backgrounds.
The Top Healthcare Programs in South Carolina
| School Name / Website | Address | School Type |
|---|---|---|
| Academy for Careers and Technology | 2697 E Hwy 76, Mullins, South Carolina 29574-6009 | < 2-year, Public |
| Aiken Technical College | 2276 Jefferson Davis Highway, Graniteville, South Carolina 29829 | 2-year, Public |
| Anderson University | 316 Boulevard, Anderson, South Carolina 29621-4035 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Benedict College | 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29204-1086 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Bob Jones University | 1700 Wade Hampton Boulavard, Greenville, South Carolina 29614-0001 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Central Carolina Technical College | 506 N Guignard Dr, Sumter, South Carolina 29150-2499 | 2-year, Public |
| Centura College-Columbia | 131 Berkshire Dr., Columbia, South Carolina 29223 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Charleston Southern University | 9200 University Blvd, Charleston, South Carolina 29406-9121 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 171 Moultrie St, Charleston, South Carolina 29409 | 4-year, Public |
| Claflin University | 400 Magnolia Street, Orangeburg, South Carolina 29115-4498 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Clemson University | 201 Sikes Hall, Clemson, South Carolina 29634 | 4-year, Public |
| Coastal Carolina University | 103 Tom Trout Drive, Conway, South Carolina 29526 | 4-year, Public |
| Coker College | 300 E College Ave, Hartsville, South Carolina 29550 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| College of Charleston | 66 George St, Charleston, South Carolina 29424-0001 | 4-year, Public |
| Columbia College | 1301 Columbia College Dr, Columbia, South Carolina 29203 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Converse College | 580 E Main St, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302-0006 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Denmark Technical College | 1126 Solomon Blatt Blvd, Denmark, South Carolina 29042 | 2-year, Public |
| Erskine College | 2 Washington St, Due West, South Carolina 29639 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College | 2715 W. Lucas Street, Florence, South Carolina 29501-0548 | 2-year, Public |
| Forrest College | 601 E River Street, Anderson, South Carolina 29624-2405 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Fortis College-Columbia | 246 Stoneridge Dr Ste 101, Columbia, South Carolina 29210 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Francis Marion University | 4822 East Palmetto Street, Florence, South Carolina 29506 | 4-year, Public |
| Furman | 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, South Carolina 29613-6162 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Greenville Technical College | 506 S Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, South Carolina 29606 | 2-year, Public |
| Horry-Georgetown Technical College | 2050 Highway 501 East, Conway, South Carolina 29526 | 2-year, Public |
| Lander University | 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, South Carolina 29649-2099 | 4-year, Public |
| Limestone College | 1115 College Drive, Gaffney, South Carolina 29340-3799 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Medical University of South Carolina | 179 Ashley Ave, Charleston, South Carolina 29425 | 4-year, Public |
| Midlands Technical College | 1260 Lexington Drive, West Columbia, South Carolina 29170-2176 | 2-year, Public |
| Morris College | 100 West College Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29150-3599 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Newberry College | 2100 College St, Newberry, South Carolina 29108 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| North Greenville University | 7801 N. Tigerville Road, Tigerville, South Carolina 29688-1892 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Northeastern Technical College | 1201 Chesterfield Hwy., Cheraw, South Carolina 29520 | 2-year, Public |
| Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College | 3250 Saint Matthews Rd, Orangeburg, South Carolina 29118-8299 | 2-year, Public |
| Piedmont Technical College | 620 North Emerald Road, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646 | 2-year, Public |
| Platt College-Miller-Motte Technical-Charleston | 8085 Rivers Ave., Ste E, Charleston, South Carolina 29418 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Platt College-Miller-Motte Technical-Conway | 2451 East Highway 501, Conway, South Carolina 29526-9508 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Presbyterian College | 503 South Broad Street, Clinton, South Carolina 29325 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Remington College-Columbia Campus | 607 Bush River Rd, Columbia, South Carolina 29210 | < 2-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Sherman College of Chiropractic | 2020 Springfield Rd, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29316 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| South Carolina State University | 300 College St NE, Orangeburg, South Carolina 29117-0001 | 4-year, Public |
| South University-Columbia | 9 Science Court, Columbia, South Carolina 29203 | 4-year, Private for-profit |
| Southeastern College-Charleston | 2431 Aviation Avenue, Suite 703, North Charleston, South Carolina 29406 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Southeastern College-Columbia | 581 Columbia Mall Blvd, Columbia, South Carolina 29223 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Southern Wesleyan University | 907 Wesleyan Drive, Central, South Carolina 29630-1020 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Spartanburg Community College | 107 Community College Drive, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303 | 2-year, Public |
| Strayer University-South Carolina | 555 N Pleasantburg Dr Ste 300, Greenville, South Carolina 29607 | 4-year, Private for-profit |
| Technical College of the Lowcountry | 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901-1288 | 2-year, Public |
| Tri-County Technical College | 7900 U.S. Hwy 76, Pendleton, South Carolina 29670 | 2-year, Public |
| Trident Technical College | 7000 Rivers Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina 29423-8067 | 2-year, Public |
| University of South Carolina-Aiken | 471 University Pkwy, Aiken, South Carolina 29801 | 4-year, Public |
| University of South Carolina-Beaufort | 1 University Boulevard, Bluffton, South Carolina 29909 | 4-year, Public |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | Columbia-Campus, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 | 4-year, Public |
| University of South Carolina-Lancaster | 476 Hubbard Drive, Lancaster, South Carolina 29720-0889 | 2-year, Public |
| University of South Carolina-Upstate | 800 University Way, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303-4999 | 4-year, Public |
| Voorhees College | 481 Porter Drive, Denmark, South Carolina 29042 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Williamsburg Technical College | 601 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Kingstree, South Carolina 29556-4197 | 2-year, Public |
| Winthrop University | 701 Oakland Ave, Rock Hill, South Carolina 29733 | 4-year, Public |
| York Technical College | 452 S Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, South Carolina 29730 | 2-year, Public |
South Carolina Healthcare entry-level positions
Perhaps the greatest portion of the medical workforce in South Carolina is made-up of the 53,900 Healthcare Support staff who are presently working in the state. These support roles usually require an associate’s degree or less, and offer you a median salary ($28,040 for all Healthcare Support Occupations in South Carolina) that’s competitive for positions that do not demand a four year degree.
In the section shown below, you can find educational prerequisites and job and salary data for ten entry-level healthcare positions in South Carolina.
| South Carolina Healthcare Careers | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 690 | 31.17 | 64820 |
| Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics | 5180 | 16.09 | 33470 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 7060 | 14.60 | 30360 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 9590 | 19.42 | 40390 |
| Medical Records and Health Information Technicians | 2470 | 18.99 | 39500 |
| Home Health Aides | 8960 | 10.20 | 21220 |
| Nursing Assistants | 20730 | 11.93 | 24810 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 340 | 29.41 | 61170 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 1290 | 26.87 | 55900 |
| Dental Assistants | 4400 | 18.32 | 38110 |
| Medical Assistants | 9540 | 14.94 | 31080 |
| Phlebotomists | 1680 | 14.14 | 29410 |
Getting started in the South Carolina Medical Field
Despite the possibility of finding an entry-level job with no previous education, virtually all organizations in South Carolina would prefer to hire candidates who have some type of credential. No matter your ultimate career goals, this means that graduating from a training program an important step.
Almost all of these programs can be finished in two years or less, and some can be completed in less than a year.
Where to find allied health career training in South Carolina
By clicking on the links below, you can find important information on training in South Carolina for each profession. Click any one of the career titles listed below for additional information about that career.
- CNA programs in South Carolina
- Dental assistant classes in South Carolina
- EMT programs in South Carolina
- HHA schools in South Carolina
- LPN training in South Carolina
- Medical assistant schools in South Carolina
- Medical billing & coding programs in South Carolina
- Pharmacy technician courses in South Carolina
- Phlebotomy programs in South Carolina
- Ultrasound technician courses in South Carolina
Where to find medical jobs in South Carolina
The Charleston area of South Carolina is where the state’s greatest concentration of healthcare employment opportunities may be found. The greater Charleston metropolitan area is where you can find the state’s largest concentration of medical field professionals with an estimated 9,640 employed there.
South Carolina’s top locations for finding a healthcare position are shown below.
- Columbia, SC
- Charleston, SC
- Spartanberg, SC
- Myrtle Beach
- Hilton Head, SC