Nurse practitioner salary in South Carolina
South Carolina nurse practitioners earn a median of $123,290 a year ($59.28 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 7% below the national median of $132,300, and ranks 48th of 51 states.
Median, South Carolina
$123,290
Mean $124,170
Middle half earns
$107,930 to $132,220
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in South Carolina
5,670
1.18x the national concentration
Where South Carolina sits in the range
South Carolina
Statewide
United States
National
Charlotte
Metro area
Greenville
Metro area
Charleston
Metro area
Columbia
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of South Carolina nurse practitioners earned less than $97,080 and ten percent earned more than $160,170, a spread of $63,090. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | South Carolina | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $97,080 | $101,340 | -4.2% |
| 25th | $107,930 | $117,990 | -8.5% |
| Median | $123,290 | $132,300 | -6.8% |
| 75th | $132,220 | $156,700 | -15.6% |
| 90th | $160,170 | $174,420 | -8.2% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for 10 metro areas that include part of South Carolina. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC has the highest median at $130,310. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,970 | $130,310 | $116,290 to $142,530 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 1,120 | $119,280 | $110,030 to $129,900 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 1,050 | $127,780 | $117,480 to $133,050 |
| Columbia, SC | 920 | $118,470 | $105,970 to $130,230 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 500 | $120,270 | $106,120 to $129,680 |
| Florence, SC | 270 | $121,930 | $104,510 to $134,820 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SCmoderate precision | 260 | $121,390 | $104,480 to $128,680 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 260 | $119,130 | $102,010 to $127,880 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 260 | $121,120 | $109,350 to $132,190 |
| Sumter, SC | 80 | $112,080 | $102,480 to $125,910 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in South Carolina
| Occupation | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $123,290 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $122,490 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $265,480 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $82,360 | $97,550 |
The South Carolina NP workforce
BLS counts 5,670 nurse practitioners on South Carolina payrolls, or 2.46 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, close to the national concentration. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 7,303 nurse practitioners with a South Carolina practice address, and 370 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $107,930, it sits in the bottom quarter of what South Carolina nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $132,220, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in South Carolina
How much does a NP make in South Carolina?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in South Carolina was $123,290 in May 2025, and the mean was $124,170, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $107,930 and $132,220.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in South Carolina?
The median hourly wage was $59.28 and the mean was $59.70. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do NPs earn the most in South Carolina?
Among South Carolina metro areas with published data, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC had the highest median at $130,310, and Sumter, SC the lowest at $112,080.
How does South Carolina rank for NP pay?
South Carolina ranks 48th of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, 7% below the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in South Carolina?
BLS estimated 5,670 nurse practitioners employed in South Carolina in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 7,303 with a South Carolina practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
Book a free intro call with Max. Tell him what you are weighing, and he will tell you whether coaching would help, or whether you just need a few answers.