How Much Do Travel Nurses Make in South Carolina? 2026 Pay by Specialty and City

By CircleRN Team | Published 2026-11-03 | 8 min read

Travel nurses in South Carolina are offered a median of $2,022 a week across 90 contracts (November 2026), second-lowest of 42 states plus DC. Pay by specialty and city, staff RN wages, FY2027 stipend limits, license and the 2026 tax cut.

Travel nurses in South Carolina are offered a median of $2,022 a week across 90 open contracts, measured November 3, 2026, against $2,415 nationally. That is the second-lowest of the 42 states, plus DC, with at least 30 open contracts, and every major specialty pays less there than its national median. Staff nurses in South Carolina also earn well below the national median, so a travel contract still pays about 28 percent more than a typical local staff job, close to the national premium. Charleston pays the most.

These are advertised weekly totals before tax, which usually include tax-free stipends, and for most postings they are the top of an advertised range. They are not take-home pay. Live figures are on the South Carolina travel nursing page.

How much do travel nurses make in South Carolina?

The median advertised weekly total on 90 open travel nursing contracts in South Carolina is $2,022, measured November 3, 2026. The middle half runs from $1,933 to $2,341 a week, a narrow spread. Over a 26-week year of assignments the median comes to about $52,600, or about $105,000 for 52 weeks with no gaps.

On October 1, 2026 the median was $2,034 across 72 contracts, so pay has held flat while the number of openings grew.

How does South Carolina travel nurse pay compare with other states?

It is near the bottom. Of the 42 states, plus DC, with at least 30 open contracts on November 3, 2026, South Carolina's $2,022 median ranks 42nd, ahead of only Georgia. North Carolina ($2,098), Florida ($2,120) and Tennessee ($2,224) pay a little more.

A state's median partly reflects which specialties it is hiring, so we also compare each contract with the national median for its own specialty. On that measure South Carolina pays about 14 percent below the national median for the same work; on October 1 it was 13 percent below. Prices in the state run about 6 percent below the national average (BEA Regional Price Parity), which leaves it about 8 percent behind after prices. All states are ranked three ways in highest-paying states for travel nurses.

Which nursing specialties pay the most in South Carolina?

Every specialty with at least five open contracts pays less in South Carolina than its national median, by 11 to 20 percent:

SpecialtySC median a weekNational medianGapSC contracts
Labor and delivery$2,355$2,731-14%6
Operating room$2,284$2,657-14%8
Telemetry$2,009$2,417-17%7
PCU$2,003$2,300-13%13
ICU$1,985$2,440-19%5
Med-Surg$1,983$2,228-11%23
ER$1,875$2,353-20%11

Labor and delivery and operating room pay the most, as they do nationally. Med-Surg has the most openings and sits closest to its national median; ER and ICU trail theirs by the most. Most rows rest on fewer than ten contracts, so a few postings can move them; the linked pages carry today's figures. Our specialty pay guide compares specialties nationally.

Which South Carolina cities pay travel nurses the most?

Of the cities with at least ten priced nursing contracts on November 3, 2026:

Beaufort (Beaufort Memorial), Greenville (Prisma Health Greenville Memorial), Orangeburg, Seneca, Clinton, Greenwood and Spartanburg also have travel openings, but too few priced nursing contracts for a median. The MUSC Health system accounts for much of the hiring in the three largest cities, so its staffing decisions move the state's figures.

How much do staff nurses make in South Carolina?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median registered nurse wage in South Carolina at $82,360 a year, or $39.60 an hour, across 49,750 employed RNs (May 2025). That is about 16 percent below the national median of $97,550. By metro area:

Spread over 52 weeks, the state's staff median is about $1,584 a week, and the $2,022 travel median is about 28 percent more. Nationally the same comparison gives about 29 percent. So South Carolina travel pay is low against other states but not against local staff jobs. The comparison is not like for like: the travel figure is gross and usually includes tax-free stipends, but it also has to cover a second home and the weeks between contracts. Our travel versus staff pay guide covers those terms.

What are the tax-free stipend limits in South Carolina?

The tax-free part of a travel package is capped by the federal GSA per diem rate for where you work: daily lodging plus meals, times seven. The FY2027 rates took effect October 1, 2026:

Area (county)Lodging a nightMeals a dayWeekly ceiling
Charleston (Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester)$218 Nov to Feb; $288 Mar to May; $244 Jun to Oct$92$2,170 to $2,660
Hilton Head, Beaufort (Beaufort)$132 to $226, highest Jun to Aug$80$1,484 to $2,142
Myrtle Beach (Horry)$113 to $202, highest Jun to Aug$74$1,309 to $1,932
Columbia (Richland, Lexington)$115$74$1,323
Rest of South Carolina$113$68$1,267

Charleston's ceiling is close to the $2,375 median package on Charleston contracts: higher from March to October, and about $200 lower from November to February. Florence, Greenville and Spartanburg are on the standard $1,267 rate. These are ceilings, not what an agency pays. Every state's limits are in travel nurse stipends by state, and the stipend rules explain who qualifies.

Do you need a South Carolina nursing license to travel there?

Not if you hold a multistate license. South Carolina is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate RN license issued by your home compact state lets you work there. If your primary state of residence is outside the compact, for example California, New York or Illinois, you need a South Carolina license by endorsement first. The license compact checker shows which kind you hold.

South Carolina cut its income tax for 2026: 1.99 percent on taxable income under $30,000 and 5.21 percent above that. It applies to the taxable wage part of your package earned in the state, not to stipends that qualify as tax-free, and your home state may give you a credit for it.

What does housing cost for a travel nurse in South Carolina?

On November 3, 2026 there were 159 active rentals in South Carolina on CircleRN, and the median one-bedroom was $1,200 a month. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom, taken as a median across 93 South Carolina cities, is $1,060. A month in a one-bedroom costs about one week of a stipend paid at the $1,267 standard ceiling. Charleston is the exception: its one-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,990, though its stipend ceiling is higher too.

Browse travel nurse housing in South Carolina, or go straight to Charleston, Columbia or Greenville.

Bottom Line

Travel nurses in South Carolina are offered a median of $2,022 a week across 90 contracts, second-lowest of 42 states and DC, and about 14 percent below the national median for the same specialties. Staff RNs there earn about 16 percent below the national median, so travel still pays about 28 percent more than a local staff job. Charleston pays the most and has the highest stipend ceiling, up to $2,660 a week in spring. South Carolina is a compact state, and its 2026 income tax tops out at 5.21 percent.

Ready to look? See open South Carolina travel nursing jobs, or compare it with travel nurse pay in North Carolina and Georgia.

Sources

Back to blog