Occupational profile · 2025
South Carolina
South Carolina employs 2,305,080 people. The work it does most unusually is textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders, at 7.8× the national concentration — 1,500 jobs paying a median of $39,760.
What South Carolina is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders1,500 jobs · median $39,7607.8×
- 2Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders2,240 jobs · median $38,2806.9×
- 3Nuclear Engineers1,440 jobs · median $126,5706.3×
- 4Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers1,080 jobs · median $43,3805.7×
- 5Engine and Other Machine Assemblers1,960 jobs · median $46,9503.9×
- 6Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders2,460 jobs · median $51,6202.8×
- 7Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic4,520 jobs · median $45,7402.5×
- 8Chemical Technicians2,080 jobs · median $75,0202.4×
- 9Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians1,290 jobs · median $69,5802.4×
- 10Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic2,000 jobs · median $49,0402.2×
- 11Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians2,400 jobs · median $70,0802.1×
- 12Helpers--Electricians2,000 jobs · median $39,4602.1×
What South Carolina is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 285,690 | 1.09× | $43,520 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 230,320 | 1.16× | $35,710 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 229,540 | 1.13× | $28,640 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 206,200 | 1.02× | $38,610 | |
| Production Occupations | 179,000 | 1.41× | $46,680 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 146,120 | 1.00× | $79,750 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 130,680 | 0.84× | $77,740 | |
| Management Occupations | 126,870 | 0.77× | $110,640 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 121,120 | 0.90× | $59,420 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 102,520 | 1.14× | $55,040 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 94,000 | 0.80× | $35,470 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 85,640 | 0.90× | $49,560 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 69,700 | 1.03× | $34,580 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 57,250 | 0.73× | $96,300 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 54,160 | 0.97× | $45,330 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 50,340 | 1.04× | $31,060 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 46,240 | 1.19× | $94,260 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 31,550 | 0.80× | $50,710 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 20,920 | 0.69× | $50,720 | |
| Legal Occupations | 17,430 | 0.90× | $68,710 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 16,650 | 0.76× | $75,900 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 3,150 | 0.49× | $44,940 |
Elsewhere on South Carolina
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗