State market profile

South Carolina OT job market

Compare South Carolina using BLS occupational therapist wage, employment, density, and concentration data from the May 2025 OEWS release, then review metro, school, and employer context.

State rank #40$97,180 mean wage1,840 OT jobs0.76 location quotient

Market snapshot

How South Carolina compares for occupational therapists

The state score balances pay, role depth, role density, and occupational concentration. Raw BLS measures stay visible so readers can audit the ranking.

Mean wage$97,180BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$101,130Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment1,840Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.80OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is South Carolina a strong OT market for your next move?

Use the state rank as a starting point, then validate the metro, setting, employer, and school context that will shape the actual decision.

Best for

OTs who want a source-backed read on South Carolina before narrowing to specific metros and employers.
Readers comparing a smaller statewide market where individual employers and commute radius matter more.
Readers who want metro-level comparisons instead of relying on one statewide wage number.

Watch closely

Statewide wage data does not adjust for rent, taxes, benefits, commute time, productivity model, or setting mix.
Large states can hide major metro-to-metro differences, so compare city profiles before relocating.
The OT concentration signal is below the national baseline; confirm local role availability in your setting.

Ask before deciding

Which South Carolina metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $97,180 mean wage?
Which employers offer mentorship, manageable documentation, and a caseload mix that fits your goals?

Decision signals

What the state data means in practice

Statewide numbers are useful for screening, but the decision still depends on metros, employers, schools, and the specific setting you want.

Pay shape

The median wage is above the mean, so the middle of the market looks comparatively strong rather than being driven mainly by high-end outliers.

Market depth

This is a thinner statewide employment base. Individual employers, local referral networks, and travel radius can matter more than the statewide rank.

Role concentration

The location quotient is below the national baseline, so readers should verify local role availability before relying on statewide wage strength.

Metro markets

Best South Carolina metro markets for OTs

Metro rows help separate statewide strength from the cities where jobs, wages, and OT concentration are actually concentrated.

Metro	Rank	Mean wage	Employment	Concentration
Spartanburg, SC Score 45.1	#106	$101,290	210	1.22 LQ; 1.27 per 1,000 jobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Score 40.7	#164	$97,240	400	0.87 LQ; 0.91 per 1,000 jobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC Score 38.8	#196	$97,710	320	0.79 LQ; 0.82 per 1,000 jobs
Columbia, SC Score 36.1	#235	$96,940	280	0.67 LQ; 0.70 per 1,000 jobs
Florence, SC Score 33.2	#275	$95,920	80	0.87 LQ; 0.91 per 1,000 jobs
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Score 33.0	#278	$97,570	70	0.84 LQ; 0.87 per 1,000 jobs
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Score 28.9	#323	$92,350	100	0.63 LQ; 0.66 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in South Carolina

Program supply matters for applicants, fieldwork access, and local clinical networks. These rows point to source-backed school profiles where available.

Program	Location	Degree	NBCOT
Southeastern College-Columbia Campus Campus-based; next review 2029/2030	Columbia, SC	OTA Associate	100%
Medical University of South Carolina 1-24% distance; next review 2028/2029	Charleston, SC	OT Doctorate	98%
Presbyterian College Campus-based; next review 2029/2030	Clinton, SC	OT Doctorate	89%
Greenville Technical College, Benson Campus 25-49% distance; next review 2025/2026	Taylors, SC	OTA Associate	88%
Trident Technical College 1-24% distance; next review 2032/2033	Charleston, SC	OTA Associate	88%
Piedmont Technical College-Newberry Campus Campus-based; next review 2027/2028	Newberry, SC	OTA Associate	79%

Compare states

Other strong OT state markets

Use peer states to check whether a relocation, school decision, or salary negotiation is anchored in the right labor-market comparison.

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