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South Carolina Teacher Certification and Career Guide

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) oversees the PK-12 teacher certification process, which is outlined below. The main steps for the traditional path to teacher certification in South Carolina are:

  1. Complete a bachelor’s degree with a state-approved teacher preparation component.
  2. Complete a student teaching placement.
  3. Pass the required teacher certification exams.
  4. Apply for a teaching certificate or license.
  5. Upgrade your license.

Continue reading to learn more about the traditional certification pathway in South Carolina.

Table of Contents


How to Become a Teacher in South Carolina

This section covers the traditional steps to teacher certification in South Carolina. South Carolina uses a tiered license structure for educators:

  • Initial Certificate (3-year): For first-time educators who have completed an approved educator preparation program and passed the required subject area and pedagogy assessments.
  • Professional Certificate (5-year): For teachers who are employed in a South Carolina public school, participate in the school district’s induction program, complete a summative evaluation of teaching performance at the Annual contract level as part of the state’s ADEPT system, and submit a qualifying score on an approved pedagogy assessment.

If you already hold a bachelor’s degree but did not complete a teacher preparation program, you may be eligible for licensure under one of the alternative teacher certification routes in South Carolina.

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree that includes an approved teacher preparation program.

To meet the basic eligibility requirements for teaching certification in South Carolina, candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and complete an approved educator preparation program (EPP), which is typically included in the bachelor’s degree curriculum for traditional route educators. You can see a list of approved programs on the SCDE website.

You can compare key metrics for state-approved teacher preparation programs on our South Carolina schools page. You can also read about two important accreditations to consider, institutional accreditation and programmatic accreditation, on our teaching schools guide.

2. Complete a student teaching placement.

As part of your EPP, you will complete a student teaching or clinical experience at the grade level and subject you wish to teach. Before you can perform the student teaching, internship, or clinical component of your EPP in a public school, you must apply for student teaching clearance from the SCDE. You will work with an experienced teacher and mentor who will give you feedback as you practice leading a classroom. Some programs may offer longer student teaching placements or the opportunity to pursue more than one placement.

3. Pass the required South Carolina teacher exams.

South Carolina State SealThe SCBE requires prospective teachers to pass a pedagogy assessment and the Praxis Subject Test related to their content area. The pedagogy assessment requirement can be fulfilled with the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT), the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT), or the edTPA from Pearson Evaluation Systems. The Praxis exams are administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). You can find the exams required for your certification area on the SCDE’s Certification Assessments page.

4. Apply for South Carolina teacher certification.

Once the requirements for South Carolina educator certification have been completed, candidates must apply by creating an account on the My SC Educator Portal. You will need to include:

  • Official transcripts
  • College Recommendation Form EPP
  • Passing scores for the required Praxis II content area exams.
  • Passing scores on the applicable exams
  • Fingerprints for criminal records check
  • Payment of non-refundable application fee

Refer to the application procedures for more information on completing this process.

5. Upgrade your license.

At the end of each school year, teachers whose Initial Certificate expires in June are automatically evaluated to advance to the Professional Certificate. The educator does not have to request the upgrade. Teachers with an Initial License can advance to a Professional Certificate if they:

  • Are employed by a South Carolina public school
  • Have participated in the district’s induction program
  • Have completed the summative evaluation of teaching performance at the Annual contract level as part of the state’s system for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT)
Guide to Other Teaching Pathways

South Carolina Teacher Certification Renewal

South Carolina teachers must renew their Professional Certificate every five years. To renew a Professional Certificate, you must complete 120 renewal credits or Continuing Education Units (CEUs). You can review the options for earning renewal credit on the Renewal Credit Options page and the SCDE Renewal Credit Matrix. All required documentation and the renewal application must be submitted through your My SC Educator Portal account.

Initial Certificate holders employed by a South Carolina public school district who have not met the requirements for a Professional Certificate within the three-year validity period can extend their Initial Certificate annually at the school’s request. The teacher must also request an extension on the My SC Educator Portal.

Adding Subjects or Grades to a Certificate

Once you receive your teaching certificate, you will only be eligible to work as a teacher in the grade levels and certification areas listed on your certificate, though occasional, temporary exceptions are made. In South Carolina, candidates with a valid classroom teaching certificate can qualify for additional certification fields by:

  • Completing an approved educator preparation program in the field and the related exam
  • Completing an approved coursework series in the field and the related exam
  • Earning a qualifying score on the required subject area assessment

Review the Adding Certification Fields and Endorsements page for more information.

South Carolina Teaching License Reciprocity

Reciprocity in South Carolina is available for experienced teachers with valid out-of-state certification. To apply for out-of-state certification, you must meet all South Carolina certification requirements. Out-of-state teachers with at least 27 months of qualifying teaching experience in the last seven years will be issued a Professional Certificate. Teachers with less experience who meet all other requirements will be issued an Initial Certificate. To apply, you will need to create a My SC Educator Portal account and submit:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges attended
  • Copy of out-of-state teaching certificate
  • Verification of licensure tests taken
  • Experience Verification Form
  • Fingerprinting process and criminal records review
  • Non-refundable application processing fee

For additional information on reciprocity refer to the Out-of-State Educators page. You can learn more about transferring a teaching certificate or license between states on our guide to certification reciprocity.

In addition to standard classroom teaching certificates, the SCDE issues credentials in a variety of service and leadership areas. These include:

  • Elementary School Principal and Supervisor (Tier 1) Certificate: Requires a master’s degree, a valid Professional Certificate at the elementary level, a minimum score on the related exams, at least three years of teaching experience with at least one year of teaching in grades pre-K-8, and the completion of an advanced program for the training of elementary principals and supervisors.
  • School Counselor Certificate, Elementary and Secondary: Requires a master’s degree, the completion of an approved program for the preparation of school counselors, and a minimum qualifying score on the related exams.
  • School Librarian (PK-12) Certificate: Requires a master’s degree, a completed approved preparation program in the field, and a qualifying score on the related subject area exam.

Additional certifications are available for school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, superintendents, and others. In general, candidates for these and other advanced certificates must complete a master’s degree and an educator preparation program in their desired certification area and pass the relevant exam. In many cases, candidates must also hold a teaching certificate with two to three years of classroom teaching experience. For more information, visit the Adding Service Fields webpage.

South Carolina Teacher Outlook, Salary, and Jobs

Projected Job Growth

8.5%

Growth in Teaching Jobs in SC through 20322*

According to the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the state of South Carolina has a student-to-teacher ratio of about 15:1.3 During the 2017-2018 school year, there were 1,255 public K-12 schools in the state, which enrolled a student population of 777,507 with about 52,467 teachers.3

Job prospects for teachers through 2032 are much stronger in South Carolina than the expected national averages, with job growth for South Carolina elementary teachers projected at 8.5% compared to 0.7% nationally; for South Carolina middle school teachers, 8.6% compared to 0.8% nationally; and for South Carolina secondary school teachers, 8.8% compared to 1% nationally.2 The table below provides a detailed comparison of job growth prospects and salary levels for South Carolina teachers.

TypeNumber Employed in SC4Average Annual Openings in SC2SC Proj. Job Growth 2022-20322Average Annual Salary in SC425th Percentile Wages in SC575th Percentile Wages in SC5
Preschool Teachers3,48061016.6%$37,500$29,060$38,680
Preschool Teachers, Special Education210407.7%$59,520$49,090$68,860
Kindergarten Teachers1,8502308.2%$60,470$48,970$66,000
Elementary School Teachers22,6701,7308.5%$57,450$47,720$64,160
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Special Education2,5501507.3%$59,590$49,400$68,090
Middle School Teachers7,4107008.6%$61,040$48,780$66,310
Middle School Teachers, Special Education720——$61,880$50,080$69,330
Middle School Teachers, Career/Technical Education160208%$62,870$57,450$68,760
Secondary School Teachers17,3101,1308.8%$59,750$48,980$65,980
Secondary School Teachers, Special Education1,650——$61,270$50,240$67,260
Secondary School Teachers, Career/Technical Education1601007.6%$62,970$51,260$69,670

*The estimated job growth average is based on projections for mainstream kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Projections for other categories, such as special education and career and technical education, may be higher or lower than the average.

Teacher Shortages in South Carolina

Most of the US is dealing with an educator shortage. According to the US Department of Education Teacher Shortage Area report for 2023-2024, South Carolina has designated the following deficits:

According to recent research, there were 1,474 unfilled teaching positions in South Carolina during the 2022-2023 school year.7 During the 2021-2022 school year, 7,611 teachers in the state were considered underqualified for their position, which includes teachers assigned to classrooms outside their certification field on a temporary or emergency basis.7

Additional Resources

South Carolina Teacher Interview

Related Articles

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How can you become a substitute teacher in South Carolina?

Answer: The state of South Carolina does not require certification for substitute teachers; the only requirement is that prospective substitutes have at least a high school diploma. However, individual school districts set their own requirements and may prefer to hire substitutes who are state certified.

Question: How many private schools and private school teachers are there in South Carolina?

Answer: According to the latest statistics available, as of the 2019-20 school year, there were 427 private schools in South Carolina, with 5,597 full-time teachers and 246,706 students.8 South Carolina law does not require private school teachers to be certified, though some schools may prefer to hire teachers with state credentials. Check with private schools in your area to confirm requirements.

References:
1. South Carolina Department of Education: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/
2. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm
3. National Center for Education Statistics, State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey Data, 2017-2018: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/stnfis.asp
4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, South Carolina: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_sc.htm
5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
6. US Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas: https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports
7. Teacher Shortages in the United States, Tuan D. Nguyen et al.: https://teachershortages.com/
8. National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey, 2019-20: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/tables/TABLE15fl1920.asp