How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in South Carolina in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in South Carolina earns about $58.89 per hour ($122,490 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to about $10,208 a month or $2,356 a week, based on the annual figure. Those weekly and monthly numbers help when comparing job offers that list pay differently.

That is about 10% below the national figure of $135,880 a year, where typical pay runs $65.33 an hour. South Carolina ranks 45th out of 51 states and territories on this measure. The state counts 2,250 Physician Assistant jobs, compared with 162,150 nationwide. Lower pay in South Carolina tends to track its lower cost of living relative to higher-paying states.

Entry-level positions in South Carolina typically offer around $37.32 an hour, or about $77,620 a year, according to the same May 2025 data. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical rate of $58.89 an hour within the first few years of practice. New PAs often start in primary care or hospital settings before moving into higher-paying specialties.

Experienced Physician Assistants in the state often earn upwards of $76.37 an hour, and the top 10% of earners make over $158,860 a year. That leaves a gap of $81,240 between entry-level and top pay in South Carolina. Setting, years of experience, and city all play a part in where a given PA lands within that range.

South Carolina's typical Physician Assistant pay rose from $87,390 in 2015 to $122,490 in 2025, a decade of steady gains. That is an increase of $35,100, or 40%, over ten years. The rise has been fairly consistent year over year, with the steepest gains coming between 2022 and 2024.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay climbed 38% over the same ten years, so South Carolina's rise slightly outpaced the national trend. For someone starting a PA career in South Carolina now, that decade of steady increases points to pay that has moved up consistently. Nothing about future years is guaranteed, but the pattern has held for a decade straight.

Pay runs highest in the Concord-area metro, which spans into South Carolina and posts typical pay of $133,140 a year ($64.01 an hour), about 9% above the statewide figure. The Charleston and North Charleston metro follows at $128,920 a year, and the Myrtle Beach area comes in at $125,700. Each figure covers the full metro area around that city, not just the city center.

At the lower end, the Columbia metro posts typical pay of $115,840 a year ($55.69 an hour), the lowest figure among South Carolina's listed metro areas. That is a spread of $17,300 between the highest- and lowest-paying parts of the state. The Concord-area metro also holds the largest Physician Assistant workforce in the data, at 1,680 jobs. Part of that spread reflects differences in local living costs between coastal, urban, and inland areas.

South Carolina's pay sits below North Carolina, where Physician Assistants typically earn $129,360 a year, about 6% higher than South Carolina's figure. Georgia runs the other direction, with typical pay of $115,390 a year, about 6% lower than South Carolina. PA licensure earned in one of these states can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can widen the job search for PAs living near a state line.

Physician Assistants in South Carolina typically earn $122,490 a year, a figure that has climbed 40% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience, from entry-level offers near $77,620 to top earners above $158,860. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check South Carolina's PA licensing or registry page for current requirements, and the city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to practice.