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SALARIES

WORK
ENVIRONMENT

SHORTAGE

SALARIES

Minimum salaries for teachers are set by the state and are based on education level and years of teaching experience. Minimum salary increases are also set by the state, including both annual increases for each additional year of teaching experience as well as increases for completion of a higher degree.

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Greenville County Schools Salary Rank

Of 81 South Carolina Districts, School Year 2018-19

Like many other school districts, Greenville County Schools (GCS) pays teachers above the state minimums to keep teacher pay competitive with area school districts—both in-state and out-of-state. Below are Greenville County Schools rankings among state school districts for 2018-19. Rankings for 2019-20 will appear as soon as the data becomes available.

10

Rank: 10th*

1st-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree.

7

Rank: 7th

Teacher with 10 years of experience and a master’s degree.

3

Rank: 3rd

Teacher with 20 years of experience and a master’s degree.

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Minimum Teacher Salary Schedules

South Carolina & Greenville County Schools, School Year 2019-20

*Includes three additional days of teacher pay (beyond 190 days).  **Greenville County Schools salary includes three additional days of teacher pay..
Source: “Teacher Salary Schedules,” South Carolina Dept. of Education. (online: http://ed.sc.gov/finance/financial-data/historical-data/teacher-salary-schedules/); “Greenville County Schools Teacher Salary Schedule,” Greenville County Schools. (online: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/Employees/main.asp?titleid=salaries);  Finance Dept., Greenville County Schools.

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Average Teacher Salary: Southeast States

School Year 2018-19
For 2018-19 the Southeast average teacher salary exceeded the state’s. The Southeast average was $972 higher than that of South Carolina and $164 less than Greenville County Schools.

Source: “Southeastern Teacher Salary Average.” South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. (online: http://rfa.sc.gov/econ/educ)

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WORK ENVIRONMENT

Teaching is both a rewarding and challenging profession. A supportive work environment with opportunities for professional growth is essential to job satisfaction and retaining good teachers.

WORK QUICK FACTS

9h 10m

Average Teacher Workday

9h 10m

The 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) reported that lower secondary teachers in the U.S. worked an average of 46 hours per week – an average of 9 hours and 10 minutes per day.

120

Continuing Education Credits

Continuing Education Credits

Teachers are re-certified every 5 years after acquiring 120 continuing education credits during that time.

3 Years

Teacher Probationary Period

Teacher Probationary Period

Beginning teachers have a 3-year probationary period before receiving their professional certificate.

1 Year

Length of Teacher Contract

Length of Teacher Contract

South Carolina does not have teacher unions. Instead, teachers annually receive 1-year contracts.

CHALLENGES TEACHERS FACE

Teachers face numerous challenges in their work.  An important finding from a 2019 survey on public education was that half of teachers had seriously considered leaving the profession in recent years.  Their main reasons for considering leaving their jobs are listed in order below.

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Reasons Teachers Have Considered Leaving the Profession

PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, September 2019
Inadequate pay / benefits (22%)
Stress / Pressure / Burnout (19%)
Lack of respect / feeling valued (10%)
Student behavior (9%)
School administrators / board (7%)
Workload / Hours (6%)
Retirement / Age (5%)
Lack of Support (4%)
Teaching no longer enjoyable / Pursuing other interests (3%)
Paperwork (2%)
Poor working conditions (2%)
Family obligations (2%)
Testing requirements / Government involvement (2%)
Other (5%)

“Frustration in the Schools,” PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, September 2019.

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SHORTAGE

Rapid population growth in Greenville County and across South Carolina, combined with declining availability of qualified teachers, is leading to an increasing shortage of professional educators in the public K-12 education system.

INCREASING OPEN POSITIONS

Open teaching positions are those for which teachers need to be hired prior to the school year. They include positions that were filled and those that were not (remained vacant). Open positions in South Carolina public schools increased from 6,010 in 2012-13 to 8,220 in 2018-19, a jump of 37%. Over the same period open positions in Greenville County Schools increased from 399 to 561, a 41% increase. 

BUS AGE

Open Teaching Positions in South Carolina and Greenville County Schools

By Sources Used to Fill Them (2012-13 to 2018-19)

Source: Tables 2B & 4A, A Report on the Fall Supply and Demand Survey, Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention & Advancement. (online: https://www.cerra.org/research.html)

DECLINING TEACHER POOL

The number of in-state students graduating with a bachelor’s degree and eligible for teacher certification has been decreasing since school year 2012-13, declining 32% to less than 1,650 candidates annually. Over the same time period public K-12 enrollment in South Carolina grew by 6%.
BUS AGE

South Carolina In-State Teacher Program Graduates

School Years 2012-13 to 2017-18

Source: Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (online https://www.cerra.org/research.html); Active Student Headcounts, 135-Day Active Headcount,” South Carolina Department of Education (online: https://ed.sc.gov/data/other/student-counts/active-student-headcounts/)

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