High paying entry level jobs in Sumter, SC

These occupations in Sumter, SC ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Sumter, SC run 12.0% below the national average (2024), so a Sumter, SC salary is worth about 1.14× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Sumter, SC

OccupationMedian, Sumter, SC · Employed

1Pharmacists$129,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$104,320 – $166,19080
2Software Developers$121,880
Bachelor's degree
$71,480 – $184,66050
3Nurse Practitioners$112,080
Master's degree
$94,920 – $132,26080
4Lawyers$101,900
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,270 – $268,56070
5Industrial Engineers$101,430
Bachelor's degree
$68,710 – $130,890140
6Mechanical Engineers$101,010
Bachelor's degree
$66,160 – $147,12040
7Physical Therapists$100,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,170 – $115,21050
8Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$98,490
Bachelor's degree
$59,140 – $136,58040
9Computer Occupations, All Other$96,890
Bachelor's degree
$63,710 – $136,99060
10Computer Systems Analysts$95,870
Bachelor's degree
$48,100 – $137,04060
11Electrical Engineers$94,440
Bachelor's degree
$79,860 – $127,83060
12Civil Engineers$94,110
Bachelor's degree
$70,380 – $128,39040
13Logisticians$93,640
Bachelor's degree
$53,390 – $133,21070
14Business Operations Specialists, All Other$88,710
Bachelor's degree
$63,130 – $126,440270
15Project Management Specialists$87,730
Bachelor's degree
$50,300 – $151,380170
16Registered Nurses$86,260
Bachelor's degree
$66,830 – $104,660670
17Network and Computer Systems Administrators$81,360
Bachelor's degree
$57,500 – $115,93060
18Dental Hygienists$81,150
Associate's degree
$64,760 – $93,82060
19Accountants and Auditors$78,460
Bachelor's degree
$49,400 – $133,470150
20Human Resources Specialists$69,990
Bachelor's degree
$42,830 – $115,920160
21Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$62,640
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,860 – $72,670160
22Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$62,290
Associate's degree
$61,230 – $80,12060
23Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$60,380
Bachelor's degree
$38,880 – $85,77030
24Teachers and Instructors, All Other$60,220
Bachelor's degree
$60,220 – $81,390110
25Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$60,110
Bachelor's degree
$41,760 – $75,170310
26Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$59,520
Master's degree
$30,200 – $73,51040
27Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$59,270
Master's degree
$37,160 – $78,850100
28Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$57,650
Bachelor's degree
$45,440 – $72,850470
29Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$57,430
Bachelor's degree
$37,550 – $73,900190
30Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$54,980
Bachelor's degree
$33,310 – $140,500100
31Child, Family, and School Social Workers$50,230
Bachelor's degree
$39,050 – $81,980110
32Paralegals and Legal Assistants$46,750
Associate's degree
$37,540 – $67,20090
33Dental Assistants$45,500
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,520 – $51,060120
34Medical Assistants$40,780
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,850 – $47,590170
35Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$40,230
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,120 – $47,010110
36Emergency Medical Technicians$37,630
Postsecondary nondegree award
$29,990 – $45,91060
37Nursing Assistants$35,860
Postsecondary nondegree award
$28,240 – $38,780470
38Coaches and Scouts$34,510
Bachelor's degree
$17,270 – $69,24030
39Rehabilitation Counselors$31,020
Master's degree
$30,900 – $35,85050
40Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$28,780
Postsecondary nondegree award
$20,760 – $71,90060
41Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$26,180
Some college, no degree
$21,050 – $36,150280
42Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$22,050
Bachelor's degree
$18,210 – $47,70060

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianSumter, SC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$129,820	$104,320 – $166,190	80
2	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$121,880	$71,480 – $184,660	50
3	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$112,080	$94,920 – $132,260	80
4	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$101,900	$61,270 – $268,560	70
5	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,430	$68,710 – $130,890	140
6	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,010	$66,160 – $147,120	40
7	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,520	$60,170 – $115,210	50
8	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$98,490	$59,140 – $136,580	40
9	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$96,890	$63,710 – $136,990	60
10	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$95,870	$48,100 – $137,040	60
11	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$94,440	$79,860 – $127,830	60
12	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$94,110	$70,380 – $128,390	40
13	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$93,640	$53,390 – $133,210	70
14	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$88,710	$63,130 – $126,440	270
15	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$87,730	$50,300 – $151,380	170
16	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$86,260	$66,830 – $104,660	670
17	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$81,360	$57,500 – $115,930	60
18	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$81,150	$64,760 – $93,820	60
19	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$78,460	$49,400 – $133,470	150
20	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$69,990	$42,830 – $115,920	160
21	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,640	$50,860 – $72,670	160
22	Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$62,290	$61,230 – $80,120	60
23	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$60,380	$38,880 – $85,770	30
24	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$60,220	$60,220 – $81,390	110
25	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$60,110	$41,760 – $75,170	310
26	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$59,520	$30,200 – $73,510	40
27	Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsMaster's degree	$59,270	$37,160 – $78,850	100
28	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$57,650	$45,440 – $72,850	470
29	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$57,430	$37,550 – $73,900	190
30	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$54,980	$33,310 – $140,500	100
31	Child, Family, and School Social WorkersBachelor's degree	$50,230	$39,050 – $81,980	110
32	Paralegals and Legal AssistantsAssociate's degree	$46,750	$37,540 – $67,200	90
33	Dental AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,500	$36,520 – $51,060	120
34	Medical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,780	$30,850 – $47,590	170
35	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,230	$34,120 – $47,010	110
36	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$37,630	$29,990 – $45,910	60
37	Nursing AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$35,860	$28,240 – $38,780	470
38	Coaches and ScoutsBachelor's degree	$34,510	$17,270 – $69,240	30
39	Rehabilitation CounselorsMaster's degree	$31,020	$30,900 – $35,850	50
40	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and CosmetologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$28,780	$20,760 – $71,900	60
41	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$26,180	$21,050 – $36,150	280
42	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$22,050	$18,210 – $47,700	60

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Sumter, SC. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Sumter, SC to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Sumter, SC

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