How Much Does a Physical Therapist Make in South Carolina in 2026?

A typical Physical Therapist in South Carolina earns about $48.72 per hour ($101,330 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that comes to roughly $8,444 a month and $1,949 a week, both figures calculated from the annual number. Pay varies by employer and setting, but this is the typical starting point statewide.

South Carolina's typical pay sits about 1% below the national figures of $49.40 an hour and $102,760 a year, a modest gap that reflects local cost of living more than anything else. That places the state 25th out of 51 ranked states and territories. With 3,930 Physical Therapists working statewide, South Carolina employs a modest share of the profession compared with larger states.

Entry-level positions in South Carolina typically offer around $35.01 an hour, or about $72,810 a year, for Physical Therapists just starting out. From there, pay tends to move toward the state's typical figure of $101,330 within the first several years on the job. Setting and location both play a role in how quickly that happens.

Experienced Physical Therapists in South Carolina often earn upwards of $53.78 an hour, or about $111,860 a year. The top 10% of earners make over $59.37 an hour, or $123,480 a year. That leaves a spread of $50,670 between entry-level and top-tier pay in the state, shaped by setting, years of experience, and city location.

South Carolina's typical Physical Therapist pay climbed from $80,720 in 2015 to $101,330 in 2025, a gain of $20,610 over the decade. That works out to a 26% rise in typical pay over ten years. Growth wasn't perfectly steady each year, but the overall trend moved upward.

Nationally, Physical Therapist pay rose 22% over the same ten years, a bit slower than South Carolina's climb. That means someone starting a Physical Therapist career in South Carolina today is entering after a decade of pay gains that outpaced the national trend. Past growth doesn't guarantee future increases, but the direction has been upward.

Spartanburg pays Physical Therapists the most in South Carolina, with typical pay of $111,860 a year ($53.78 an hour), about 10% above the state figure. Florence follows at $108,160 a year, and the Myrtle Beach/Conway/North Myrtle Beach area comes in at $102,480. These metro-area figures cover the entire surrounding metro, not just the city center.

Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and Port Royal pay the least among the state's metro areas, at $96,940 a year ($46.61 an hour), a spread of $14,920 below the top-paying area. The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro, which extends into the state, carries the largest Physical Therapist workforce among the listed areas at 1,680 workers. Higher pay in cities like Spartanburg often tracks a higher cost of living.

South Carolina's typical Physical Therapist pay sits close to its neighbors. Georgia pays a bit more, at $102,700 a year, about 1% above South Carolina's figure. North Carolina pays slightly less, at $99,910 a year, about 1% below. The differences are small enough that location alone rarely drives a move, though licensure in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring one.

Physical Therapists in South Carolina typically earn $101,330 a year, a figure that has climbed 26% over the past decade. For details on licensing requirements, check the state licensing board's registry page; for pay specific to a metro area, the city pages in this guide break down figures for places like Spartanburg, Charleston, and Columbia. Together, these resources offer a fuller picture beyond the statewide figure alone.