South Carolina has about 5.6 million residents and has been growing faster than most states. Registered nurses average $87,670 a year, 38th among the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Licensure
The South Carolina Board of Nursing licenses registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and advanced practice registered nurses through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Its office is on Centerview Drive in Columbia, telephone (803) 896-4550. Rules and applications are at llr.sc.gov/nurse.
South Carolina was among the first states to implement the Nurse Licensure Compact, in 2000. A nurse living here holds one multistate license good in every other compact state, North Carolina and Georgia included.
Nurse practitioner practice
South Carolina is in the restricted group. Nurse practitioners work under a written protocol with a supervising physician, and the state caps how many advanced practice nurses one physician may supervise. See nurse practitioner practice authority and collaborative practice agreements.
Nursing education
The Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing in Charleston is the state's academic nursing school. The University of South Carolina College of Nursing in Columbia and Clemson University's School of Nursing carry large public programs, South Carolina State University runs a historically Black program, and the technical college system supplies associate degree and practical nurse graduates.
Pay and workforce
Charleston holds the Medical University of South Carolina, along with Roper St. Francis. Greenville and Columbia carry Prisma Health, the largest system in the state.
Growth along the coast, particularly around Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, has been fast enough to strain hospital capacity, and the Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head markets swing hard with the seasons. Rural counties in the Pee Dee and along the Savannah River depend on smaller hospitals and critical access hospitals, several of which have closed their maternity services. See rural and frontier nursing and nurse midwifery.
Related
- Nurse Licensure Compact
- Nurse practitioner practice authority
- Collaborative practice agreements
- Critical access hospitals
- Nursing by state
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, state population estimates for July 1, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, registered nurses (29-1141), May 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- South Carolina Board of Nursing, contact details and licensing information. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Nurse Licensure Compact, member states. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners, State Practice Environment. Accessed September 8, 2026.