Physician assistant salary in South Carolina
South Carolina physician assistants earn a median of $122,490 a year ($58.89 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 10% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 45th of 51 states.
Median, South Carolina
$122,490
Mean $120,720
Middle half earns
$105,560 to $134,100
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in South Carolina
2,250
0.94x the national concentration
Where South Carolina sits in the range
South Carolina
Statewide
United States
National
Charlotte
Metro area
Charleston
Metro area
Greenville
Metro area
Columbia
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of South Carolina physician assistants earned less than $77,620 and ten percent earned more than $158,860, a spread of $81,240. 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 | $77,620 | $99,380 | -21.9% |
| 25th | $105,560 | $120,670 | -12.5% |
| Median | $122,490 | $135,880 | -9.9% |
| 75th | $134,100 | $163,980 | -18.2% |
| 90th | $158,860 | $190,280 | -16.5% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 9 metro areas that include part of South Carolina. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC has the highest median at $133,140. 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 | 1,680 | $133,140 | $108,670 to $141,240 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 620 | $128,920 | $109,960 to $134,400 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 440 | $123,310 | $96,040 to $130,850 |
| Columbia, SC | 400 | $115,840 | $107,400 to $131,440 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 350 | $117,240 | $74,200 to $160,020 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 140 | $125,700 | $101,180 to $133,340 |
| Florence, SCmoderate precision | 90 | $120,290 | $104,210 to $132,130 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 80 | $125,350 | $107,380 to $135,030 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 80 | $121,990 | $111,680 to $132,320 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in South Carolina
| Occupation | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $122,490 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $123,290 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $265,480 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $82,360 | $97,550 |
The South Carolina PA workforce
BLS counts 2,250 physician assistants on South Carolina payrolls, or 0.98 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 3,153 physician assistants with a South Carolina practice address, and 252 new PA 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 $105,560, it sits in the bottom quarter of what South Carolina physician assistants 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 $134,100, 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 PA pay in South Carolina
How much does a PA make in South Carolina?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in South Carolina was $122,490 in May 2025, and the mean was $120,720, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $105,560 and $134,100.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in South Carolina?
The median hourly wage was $58.89 and the mean was $58.04. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in South Carolina?
Among South Carolina metro areas with published data, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC had the highest median at $133,140, and Columbia, SC the lowest at $115,840.
How does South Carolina rank for PA pay?
South Carolina ranks 45th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 10% below the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in South Carolina?
BLS estimated 2,250 physician assistants employed in South Carolina in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 3,153 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 29-1071, 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?
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