How to Become a Teacher in South Carolina 2026
Here's how to become a teacher in South Carolina: hold a bachelor's degree, complete an approved preparation pathway, and pass the required subject-area and pedagogy assessments for your field before applying for an Initial Certificate through the Office of Educator Services. PACE and American Board let you teach while finishing requirements. Certification fees run about $105.
South Carolina processes every teacher certification application online through the Educator Portal, and the state's teaching workforce is actually growing: Projections Central expects South Carolina to add classroom teaching jobs across every core grade band through 2034, a trend most states aren't seeing right now. This page covers how to become a teacher in South Carolina. Since certification requirements by state vary quite a bit, here's exactly what South Carolina expects before you're allowed in front of a class, plus where the real shortcuts and detours are.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Elementary, middle, high school, or special education: South Carolina licenses each separately, and the age group or subject you pick now decides which preparation pathway and which subject-area assessment you'll need later. Special education licensure has its own coursework and testing track, so settle this before you enroll in anything.
Complete a Bachelor's Degree and a Teacher Preparation Program
The South Carolina State Department of Education requires a bachelor's degree for the traditional and alternative routes on this page, plus completion of an approved preparation pathway. (Some specialized and work-based routes, including career and technical education fields, follow different requirements - check with the SC Department of Education if that's your subject area.) If you're starting from scratch, most South Carolina colleges bundle the degree and the prep program into one track. If you already have a bachelor's degree in something else, you'll complete the preparation program separately, either through a post-baccalaureate program or one of the alternative routes below.
Complete a Teacher Preparation Program
The traditional route runs through an educator preparation program at an accredited higher-education institution, approved by the state. Alternative routes operate under their own SCDE-approved structures instead. Confirm your program's approval status before you enroll, not after. A traditional preparation program covers pedagogy, subject-specific teaching methods, and classroom technology, and it ends with a student-teaching placement: a semester or more working under a mentor teacher, usually capped off with a teaching portfolio.
Alternative Certification Routes in South Carolina
If you already have a bachelor's degree in a field outside education, South Carolina approves numerous alternative routes, including PACE, American Board, CarolinaCAP, Teach for America, Teachers of Tomorrow, GATE, TeachCharleston, and APEC, among others. Some lead to a full professional certificate. Others only cover a narrow, temporary teaching assignment. PACE and American Board are two of the most commonly used, so they're covered in detail below.
Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE)
PACE lets you start teaching in a public school classroom while you finish the coursework for a full South Carolina certificate. You work under a mentor teacher and attend seminars and training sessions while you teach, so you're earning a paycheck instead of sitting in classes full time before you start.
The Adjunct Teaching Certificate
The Adjunct Teaching Certificate is a narrower option under PACE, requested by a public-school employer on behalf of a PACE-eligible candidate. It can cover up to a full-time teaching load for less than a full school year, and it's nonrenewable. If you want an ongoing teaching career rather than a single, employer-requested assignment, this isn't the route.
Teacher Certification Reciprocity in South Carolina
Already licensed somewhere else? South Carolina will consider your out-of-state license if the subjects on it are comparable to what South Carolina certifies. Testing requirements vary depending on your specific credential and pathway. In some circumstances, a qualifying out-of-state credential or test history can satisfy South Carolina's assessment requirements without retesting, so check your specific situation with the Office of Educator Services rather than assuming you'll need to retake everything. If you're weighing options across state lines, How to Become a Teacher in North Carolina covers how the process looks in the neighboring state.
Pass South Carolina's Certification Exams
Subject Area Assessments
South Carolina requires the subject-area assessment tied to your certification field. Most fields use a Praxis subject assessment, but not every field uses the same testing program: some world-language fields, for example, use ACTFL assessments instead. Check the South Carolina Department of Education's current test requirements for your specific field before you register.
Pedagogy Assessments
Alongside the subject-area test, most candidates also need a pedagogy assessment. South Carolina recognizes three options here: the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT), the Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT), or edTPA. Which one applies depends on your certification field and pathway, so confirm the right option with your preparation program or the Office of Educator Services.
Apply for Your South Carolina Teaching Certificate
Once you've cleared the exams, you'll submit your application through the Educator Portal. You'll need:
- The official application, submitted through the Educator Portal
- The application fee, around $105 and non-refundable
- Official assessment score reports, sent directly to the Office of Educator Services from the applicable testing program
- Fingerprints for a background check run by both the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the FBI
Career-changers covering these costs out of pocket should look at the South Carolina Teachers Loan Program and the Career Changers Loan Program, which both help offset certification-related expenses for eligible candidates.
Contact Information
South Carolina Department of Education
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 734-8500
For alternative-route certification questions specifically:
849 Learning Lane
West Columbia, SC 29172
Phone: (803) 896-0325
Find a Teaching Job in South Carolina
Once your certificate comes through, you're cleared to work as a full-time teacher of record in the state.
Public Schools in South Carolina
The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) runs the state's job board for public school teaching positions and works directly with districts to recruit and keep good teachers on staff. CERRA's site gives you instant access to open teaching positions statewide.
Professional Organizations for Teachers
Two non-union associations serve South Carolina teachers: the SC Education Association (SCEA) and the Palmetto State Teachers Association. Both focus on professional development and networking rather than collective bargaining.
Retirement Benefits for Teachers in SC
South Carolina teachers pay into the South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS), a mandatory pension plan. Employers contribute roughly 3 percentage points more than employees do, and you can start drawing on it once you reach retirement age and stop actively teaching.
Private Schools in South Carolina
South Carolina has 443 private schools, and most run smaller classes than the public system. Smaller classes make differentiated instruction easier, but pay, benefits, and how far you can advance often look different than what you'd get in a public district. Weigh that trade-off against what matters more to you.
Teacher Shortage Areas in South Carolina
The U.S. Department of Education's most recent Teacher Shortage Area report lists these South Carolina subjects as short-staffed for 2021-2022:
- World Languages PreK-12 (German, Spanish, French, Chinese)
- ESOL PreK-12
- Career and Technical Education 9-12 (Agricultural Science and Technology, Business, Marketing and Information Technology)
- Theatre PreK-12
- Science 5-12
- Physical Education PreK-12
- Dance PreK-12
- Special Education, All Exceptionalities PreK-12
- English 5-12
- Music PreK-12
- Art PreK-12
- Special Education, Speech and Language Impairment PreK-12
Certifying in one of these areas is worth weighing if you're still choosing a subject. Shortage designations tend to mean better job odds statewide.
How Much Do South Carolina Teachers Earn?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Carolina's four core K-12 teaching occupations all earned in the low-to-mid $60,000s in median annual wage as of May 2025.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $60,890 | +2.7% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $60,820 | +2.4% |
| Middle School Teachers | $60,810 | +2.4% |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $62,580 | +2.8% |
Projections Central expects South Carolina to add teaching jobs across every one of these grade bands through 2034, with elementary school alone averaging about 1,640 openings a year. That's a real departure from the national picture, where classroom teaching employment is mostly flat or shrinking.
Number of Teachers by Grade Level in South Carolina
The following table breaks down South Carolina's teaching workforce by grade level and specialty, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data:
| Grade Level | Number of Teachers |
|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,550 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 25,030 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 9,750 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 16,080 |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 170 |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 2,950 |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | 980 |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 1,780 |
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
South Carolina's Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT) system governs professional growth for every teacher in the state, built around three planning documents that guide your development goals through your career. Talk to your principal directly if you have questions. They're the one who signs off on your growth plan.
Earn a Master's Degree to Simplify Certificate Renewal
Renewal Requirements for Professional Certificates
Once you move from an Initial Certificate to a Professional Certificate (three years of teaching plus a completed ADEPT evaluation), you'll renew every five years with at least 120 renewal credits. Which activities count is governed by the State Board's Renewal Credit Matrix, and options vary depending on your certification and pathway, so check the current matrix rather than assuming a fixed graduate-coursework split.
Update Your Certification Record for a Master's Degree
If you earn a master's degree in education or in your certified subject, you can submit a Request for Change/Action form to the Office of Educator Services to update your certification record. Districts set their own compensation schedules, so check with your specific district about how a master's degree affects your pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a certified teacher in South Carolina?
Most traditional candidates finish in four to five years: a bachelor's degree with an embedded preparation program, plus however long it takes to pass your field's required assessments and clear the background check. PACE, American Board, and other alternative routes can get you into a classroom faster, since you teach while finishing your remaining requirements.
Can I teach in South Carolina without an education degree?
Yes. If your bachelor's degree is in another field, PACE, the Adjunct Teaching Certificate, or a post-baccalaureate preparation program can get you licensed. Each has different limits: PACE leads to a full certificate, and the Adjunct Certificate does not.
How much does South Carolina teacher certification cost?
Budget around $105 for the non-refundable application fee, plus whatever your preparation program and required assessment registrations cost separately. Career-changers can look at the South Carolina Teachers Loan Program or the Career Changers Loan Program to help offset those costs.
Does South Carolina accept teaching licenses from other states?
Generally yes, through reciprocity, as long as the subjects on your out-of-state license match what South Carolina certifies. Exact testing requirements depend on your credential and pathway, and in some cases a qualifying out-of-state credential or test history can satisfy South Carolina's requirements without retesting. Check your specific situation with the Office of Educator Services.
What's the difference between an Initial and a Professional teaching certificate in South Carolina?
An Initial Certificate is what you get right out of your preparation program. A Professional Certificate comes after three years of teaching and a completed ADEPT evaluation, and it's the certificate you renew every five years going forward.
- Bachelor's degree plus an approved prep program - South Carolina requires both, whether you complete them together or separately.
- Two assessment types - a subject-area assessment and a pedagogy assessment (Praxis PLT, PPAT, or edTPA), both required before certification, with the specific tests depending on your field.
- PACE is the fastest alternative route - it lets you teach and earn a paycheck while finishing your remaining requirements.
- South Carolina's teaching jobs are growing - Projections Central expects job growth across every core grade band through 2034, unlike most states.
- A master's degree can simplify your paperwork - update your certification record with the Office of Educator Services, and check with your district on how it affects your pay.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Preschool Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, and Special Education Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
South Carolina's certification steps are the same no matter which sponsored program you choose, so the real decision is fit: online versus in-person, how fast you can finish, and whether a program accepts the alternative-route candidates this page just walked through. The schools listed here cover both traditional and alternative paths into a South Carolina classroom.