- South Carolina licenses electrical contractors: a Residential Electrical Contractor license for home work over $500, and a Mechanical Contractor license with the Electrical classification for commercial jobs over $10,000.
- Residential: one year of experience under a licensed contractor within the last five years. Commercial: two years of experience within the last five years.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $21.31 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of electricians to $37.41 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 9.5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally.
The path in South Carolina, step by step
South Carolina licenses electrical work at the state level through the South Carolina LLR Residential Builders Commission and Contractor's Licensing Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get one year of residential electrical experience under a licensed contractor.
- Apply to the Residential Builders Commission with the $135 fee, a credit report and proof of experience.
- Pass the Residential Electrical and Business Management and Law exams through PSI.
- Send your results and the $220 license fee, plus a $10,000 bond if you take jobs over $5,000.
- For commercial jobs over $10,000, pass the Electrical technical and commercial business exams and apply to the Contractor's Licensing Board ($350).
- Renew every two years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: electrical license in South Carolina.
Finding an apprenticeship in South Carolina
South Carolina has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the South Carolina Apprenticeship Office as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Most electricians learn the trade in a 4 or 5 year apprenticeship. Each year brings about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus some classroom instruction.
License levels and exams in South Carolina
The license to aim for: Residential Electrical Contractor license (residential) or Mechanical Contractor, Electrical classification (commercial).
Trade exam. Yes. Residential applicants pass the Residential Electrical exam through PSI (three tries in 12 months). Commercial applicants pass the Electrical technical exam through PSI.
Business exam. Yes. Residential: Business Management and Law exam. Commercial: S.C. Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam.
Keeping it. Residential: every two years before June 30 of odd years. Commercial mechanical licenses expire October 31 of odd years.
Coming from another state. Residential: the technical exam can be waived for licensees by exam from states with an exam waiver agreement; the business and law exam is still required.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential Electrical Contractor | Residential electrical work over $500, issued by the Residential Builders Commission. |
| Mechanical Contractor, Electrical | Commercial mechanical work over $10,000, issued by the Contractor's Licensing Board. |
What the South Carolina license costs
The fees the South Carolina LLR Residential Builders Commission and Contractor's Licensing Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential application processing | $135 |
| Residential license (after exams) | $220 |
| Commercial initial license | $350 |
What electricians earn in South Carolina
The median electrician in South Carolina earned $28.24 an hour in May 2025, 44th of 51 states, with 8,010 on payrolls. The national median was $30.38.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of electricians in South Carolina earned under $23.03 an hour and a tenth under $21.31. At the top, a quarter earned over $31.82 and a tenth over $37.41.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.31 | $44,330 |
| 25th percentile | $23.03 | $47,910 |
| Median | $28.24 | $58,740 |
| 75th percentile | $31.82 | $66,190 |
| 90th percentile | $37.41 | $77,800 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: electrician salary in South Carolina.
Jobs ahead in South Carolina
South Carolina's labor market office projects jobs for electricians growing from 8,620 in 2022 to 9,440 in 2032, a change of 9.5%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 870 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 9.5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 6.5% projected nationally, ranking 37th of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group electricians.
Starting your own electrician business in South Carolina
To contract on your own in South Carolina, the license is the Residential Electrical Contractor license (residential) or Mechanical Contractor, Electrical classification (commercial).
Bond. Residential: $10,000 surety bond if you take jobs over $5,000. Commercial: a financial statement or surety bond for your group limit.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the South Carolina median of $28.24 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $120.18 per billable hour. Try your own in the electrician labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start an electrical business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is South Carolina's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Residential Electrical Contractor FAQ (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Residential Builders Commission (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Code Title 40 Chapter 59 (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Code Title 40 Chapter 11 (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board licensure (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2111
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become an electrician.