As required by §59-20-50, the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office surveys the Southeastern states annually to estimate the Southeastern average teacher salary for classroom teachers in each state. The eleven states included in the survey are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Average salaries are calculated by each individual state. The average teacher salary for South Carolina as reported by the S.C. Department of Education is also included for comparison.

The S.C. Department of Education provided a detailed analysis of the cost to increase teacher salaries and add years to the salary schedule, which the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office has summarized in response to inquiries for this information.

The Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office analyzed the change in the cost of teacher salaries by component over a five-year period from FY 2015-16 to FY 2019-20.  The three components that impact teacher salary are the number of teachers, changes to the state minimum salary schedule, and changes in the average degree classification and years of experience of teachers.  The report can be found at the link below.

Act 3 of 2021 (H. 3609) requires the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office to determine the reimbursement to local districts based on the actual increased cost in salaries, including fringe, for eligible positions moving up one year on the State Minimum Salary Schedule. 

Further Information on Teacher Salaries

The National Education Association provides an annual report of rankings and estimates of various school statistics on a state level. Links to the National Education Association’s starting teacher salary and average teacher salary are listed below. In addition, the S.C. Department of Education provides a list of the annual S.C. minimum salary schedules by school district. The link is also listed below.