Wages by Occupation in Sumter, SC

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Sumter, SC metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 34,560 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $42,890 for all occupations combined. 166 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

Who lives in the Sumter, SC area and what they earn, by education, from federal survey data (not a measure of any one employer or college).

23.5% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.8), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 88.0 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 60.8; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024; estimates are revised). A higher number means prices are higher on average, not that the area is better or worse.

About 5,659 residents (5.7% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±726; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 5.4% in 2025, with a labor force of about 42,733 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

25.1% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±3.5), compared with 39.6% nationally (Table B15001).

Median yearly earnings by education, adults 25 and over who have earnings

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	$28,738	$32,485
High school graduate	$36,094	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$44,063	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$50,890	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$74,418	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	33.1% (±5.8)	24.2%
High school graduate	16.3% (±2.2)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	14.2% (±2.0)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.0% (±1.8)	4.5%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	27.8%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	12.9%	10.0%
Business	25.2%	20.1%
Education	13.8%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	20.4%	23.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Tables B15003, B20004 (earnings shown only when the margin of error is at most 20% of the value), B23006 (unemployment shown only when every margin is at most 3 points), B17003 (margins of error at the 90% level; poverty shown only when every margin is at most 8 points) and C15010 (the Census Bureau’s own field groups, in a fixed order, not ranked). Describes residents of the area, not a prediction for any person; the Census Bureau has not endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Wages by occupation

Occupation	Jobs	Median annual wage	Mean annual wage	Jobs per 1,000 jobs here	Concentration vs. U.S.
Accountants and Auditors	150	$78,460	$85,540	4.39	0.47
Administrative Services Managers	40	$106,480	$113,660	1.06	0.63
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	70	$21,960	$23,100	2.01	0.79
Animal Caretakers	80	$27,180	$29,570	2.27	1.32
Architectural and Engineering Managers	40	$133,450	$158,160	1.04	0.73
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	190	$46,500	$50,920	5.36	1.18
Bartenders	100	$18,040	$25,790	3.01	0.62
Billing and Posting Clerks	80	$41,760	$47,230	2.41	0.93
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	280	$43,810	$46,240	8.22	0.93
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	40	$57,000	$56,160	1.28	0.69
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	270	$88,710	$90,870	7.68	1.10
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	100	$79,030	$81,740	3.00	0.95
Carpenters	70	$45,700	$47,910	2.05	0.48
Cashiers	910	$26,710	$26,160	26.38	1.33
Chefs and Head Cooks	30	$65,020	$62,490	0.92	0.72
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	100	$44,530	$50,470	2.78	3.09
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	110	$50,230	$54,350	3.17	1.26
Childcare Workers	300	$27,660	$27,860	8.73	2.61
Civil Engineers	40	$94,110	$96,280	1.02	0.43
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	40	$75,160	$80,570	1.16	0.56
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	120	$39,500	$40,220	3.50	1.43
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	30	$60,380	$62,170	0.98	0.46
Coaches and Scouts	30	$34,510	$36,500	0.95	0.59
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	60	$37,470	$41,060	1.62	1.59
Compliance Officers	60	$73,320	$74,510	1.66	0.62
Computer and Information Systems Managers	40	$137,690	$143,900	1.22	0.28
Computer Occupations, All Other	60	$96,890	$99,170	1.83	0.65
Computer Systems Analysts	60	$95,870	$95,360	1.68	0.50
Computer User Support Specialists	80	$47,080	$53,690	2.29	0.50
Construction Laborers	390	$38,650	$40,460	11.26	1.60
Construction Managers	90	$117,490	$120,930	2.55	1.04
Cooks, Fast Food	280	$23,980	$25,840	8.16	1.98
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	150	$28,880	$27,830	4.44	1.56
Cooks, Restaurant	290	$31,370	$32,880	8.46	0.93
Cost Estimators	50	$63,450	$68,100	1.36	0.95
Counter and Rental Clerks	70	$30,910	$36,400	2.05	0.79
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	70	$38,780	$40,580	1.88	1.63
Customer Service Representatives	990	$39,100	$39,870	28.58	1.71
Dental Assistants	120	$45,500	$43,100	3.50	1.40
Dental Hygienists	60	$81,150	$80,800	1.72	1.20
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	40	$56,500	$59,110	1.26	1.72
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	50	$22,260	$23,520	1.57	0.45
Dishwashers	70	$26,740	$27,050	2.16	0.70
Driver/Sales Workers	150	$20,820	$25,260	4.24	1.61
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	90	$92,920	$94,730	2.69	1.28
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	30	$48,710	$53,740	0.98	2.08
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	100	$59,270	$58,610	2.96	1.30
Electrical Engineers	60	$94,440	$98,790	1.60	1.25
Electricians	90	$56,200	$55,830	2.55	0.52
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	470	$57,650	$57,180	13.68	1.53
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	40	$38,070	$39,430	1.04	1.04
Emergency Medical Technicians	60	$37,630	$36,170	1.69	1.46
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	40	$57,460	$64,310	1.05	0.36
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	50	$28,510	$37,070	1.55	0.75
Fast Food and Counter Workers	1,060	$24,510	$25,900	30.56	1.23
Financial Managers	90	$128,400	$144,990	2.63	0.49
Firefighters	90	$43,890	$44,730	2.75	1.23
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	350	$78,290	$86,210	10.16	1.94
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	40	$60,620	$70,500	1.14	1.79
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	290	$36,450	$39,680	8.38	1.07
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	50	$47,660	$48,470	1.42	1.23
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	190	$79,540	$81,800	5.42	1.36
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	30	$65,710	$74,760	0.87	0.63
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	320	$58,590	$63,230	9.20	1.00
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	50	$39,270	$41,740	1.42	1.94
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	340	$72,690	$77,280	9.95	2.30
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	330	$43,540	$45,380	9.48	1.31
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	70	$59,770	$62,850	2.12	0.53
Food Preparation Workers	140	$28,230	$27,450	4.09	0.71
Food Service Managers	80	$62,750	$68,200	2.29	1.49
General and Operations Managers	420	$99,850	$119,330	12.29	0.55
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	60	$28,780	$39,130	1.79	0.91
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	110	$40,230	$41,600	3.09	2.63
Healthcare Social Workers	40	$65,850	$65,420	1.29	1.07
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	110	$49,880	$53,350	3.30	1.25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	480	$46,500	$49,580	13.82	1.04
Helpers--Electricians	30	$38,930	$40,290	0.89	2.18
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	50	$36,450	$36,860	1.49	5.24
Highway Maintenance Workers	40	$48,950	$50,760	1.30	1.31
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	890	$28,030	$28,730	25.75	0.93
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	80	$23,350	$24,860	2.21	0.79
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	80	$23,790	$24,700	2.23	1.32
Human Resources Specialists	160	$69,990	$75,710	4.74	0.81
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians	60	$62,290	$69,320	1.78	3.67
Industrial Engineers	140	$101,430	$100,170	4.05	1.72
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	110	$60,820	$59,930	3.22	1.14
Industrial Production Managers	80	$127,350	$132,030	2.42	1.53
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	150	$37,480	$40,690	4.40	0.88
Information and Record Clerks, All Other	50	$52,440	$50,580	1.50	1.73
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	270	$49,250	$49,890	7.87	2.05
Instructional Coordinators	40	$68,740	$65,010	1.08	0.74
Insurance Sales Agents	90	$66,370	$73,940	2.63	0.85
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	580	$30,640	$31,770	16.89	1.19
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	720	$36,090	$37,140	20.82	1.10
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	180	$34,420	$35,270	5.07	0.83
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	70	$28,920	$30,540	2.01	1.58
Lawyers	70	$101,900	$135,290	1.97	0.41
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	40	$59,520	$54,620	1.12	1.30
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	160	$62,640	$61,730	4.66	1.12
Light Truck Drivers	150	$37,750	$39,590	4.23	0.67
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	40	$40,740	$42,230	1.04	0.99
Logisticians	70	$93,640	$94,030	1.93	1.20
Machinists	90	$49,480	$55,230	2.72	1.47
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	180	$27,720	$27,080	5.13	0.93
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	550	$47,340	$47,800	15.99	1.62
Management Analysts	140	$95,150	$95,330	4.05	0.70
Managers, All Other	50	$129,960	$136,180	1.56	0.39
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	100	$54,980	$68,300	2.81	0.49
Marketing Managers	30	$133,720	$182,670	0.93	0.37
Mechanical Engineers	40	$101,010	$102,760	1.24	0.65
Medical and Health Services Managers	110	$99,830	$121,580	3.20	0.83
Medical Assistants	170	$40,780	$40,850	4.87	0.93
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	190	$39,380	$41,710	5.46	0.88
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	190	$57,430	$57,070	5.50	1.38
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	880	$39,040	$41,650	25.41	2.81
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	50	$57,660	$56,900	1.32	1.16
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	50	$34,790	$38,000	1.57	1.96
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	60	$81,360	$86,640	1.66	0.82
Nurse Practitioners	80	$112,080	$115,400	2.36	1.14
Nursing Assistants	470	$35,860	$34,990	13.61	1.46
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	40	$98,490	$96,310	1.29	1.43
Office Clerks, General	620	$35,260	$36,590	17.88	1.13
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	220	$50,340	$50,110	6.24	2.03
Packers and Packagers, Hand	110	$29,100	$29,240	3.18	0.88
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	90	$38,400	$39,850	2.46	1.70
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	90	$46,750	$50,570	2.47	0.98
Parts Salespersons	70	$29,720	$32,040	1.96	1.13
Pharmacists	80	$129,820	$132,940	2.24	1.08
Pharmacy Technicians	130	$38,820	$41,240	3.70	1.22
Physical Therapists	50	$100,520	$93,380	1.40	0.81
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	80	$50,840	$52,620	2.30	0.77
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	210	$54,940	$55,520	6.11	1.42
Postal Service Mail Carriers	140	$52,520	$57,670	4.02	1.90
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	130	$50,270	$56,120	3.86	1.54
Project Management Specialists	170	$87,730	$96,850	4.87	0.71
Receptionists and Information Clerks	180	$31,060	$32,320	5.13	0.88
Recreation Workers	—	$29,970	$32,220	—	—
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	40	$48,160	$44,350	1.17	1.23
Registered Nurses	670	$86,260	$84,470	19.33	0.89
Rehabilitation Counselors	50	$31,020	$33,930	1.52	2.49
Retail Salespersons	1,010	$28,720	$31,830	29.29	1.17
Sales Managers	80	$124,810	$137,430	2.40	0.59
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	200	$47,140	$61,250	5.71	0.71
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	170	$61,890	$75,420	5.01	0.63
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	310	$60,110	$60,500	8.97	1.31
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	410	$40,210	$41,270	11.78	1.07
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	80	$47,020	$68,140	2.25	0.71
Security Guards	90	$34,660	$38,350	2.52	0.31
Self-Enrichment Teachers	60	$46,140	$45,790	1.78	0.83
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	160	$35,510	$38,610	4.73	0.90
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	40	$27,240	$29,490	1.08	0.68
Social and Community Service Managers	40	$61,990	$67,240	1.18	0.87
Social and Human Service Assistants	90	$36,800	$38,780	2.50	0.89
Software Developers	50	$121,880	$126,690	1.57	0.15
Stockers and Order Fillers	520	$30,990	$33,370	14.92	0.82
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	120	$49,030	$56,000	3.57	1.13
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	60	$22,050	$31,140	1.76	0.52
Tax Preparers	70	$30,410	$33,530	2.00	4.07
Teachers and Instructors, All Other	110	$60,220	$63,950	3.09	4.23
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	280	$26,180	$27,290	8.07	0.88
Tellers	100	$37,090	$38,030	3.01	1.42
Tire Repairers and Changers	50	$34,430	$33,750	1.43	2.05
Training and Development Specialists	80	$56,930	$67,900	2.35	0.80
Waiters and Waitresses	490	$17,440	$25,780	14.06	0.96
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	50	$45,930	$46,670	1.42	1.72
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	170	$44,540	$49,400	4.79	1.79

Colleges in this area

3 colleges in the federal directory have a campus in this area, listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank colleges. Each name links to the college’s profile.

College	Type	Level	Students, fall 2024
Central Carolina Technical College	Public	2-year	2,825
Morris College	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	383
University of South Carolina-Sumter	Public	2-year	1,845

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS directory (HD 2024, core-based statistical area of the campus) and Fall Enrollment 2024 (total headcount). A count of students is the size of the college, not its quality; the Department has not endorsed this presentation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan area estimates (cross-industry, all ownerships). Wages are pay for all workers in an occupation in this area, not any one person or employer; a dash means BLS does not publish the figure (often to protect privacy or because the estimate is unreliable), and “or more” marks a wage at or above BLS’s top reporting limit. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of jobs in this area divided by its share nationally (1.00 = the same share as the U.S.; above 1.00 = a larger share); it says nothing about pay or openings. Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's jobs per 1,000 jobs of all kinds in this area. Occupations that BLS reports only as hourly wages are not listed, and BLS shows some wages above its top limit as plain numbers while others read “or more”. Occupations are listed alphabetically; click a heading to sort. MajorPays does not rank places or occupations. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice. See Data sources.

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