The healthcare industry in South Carolina has seen a 12% increase over the past 20 years, as per BLS.
With this in mind, no wonder more and more people are starting a career in the field.
If you want to be one of them, have a look at the requirements for home health aides in this state.
Article Table of Contents
Ideal Candidate in South Carolina
The skills that will help you start a successful carer as follows:
- You can drive and have a means of transportation
- You have compassion
- You are healthy and physically able
- Communication skills
These are extra skills that will secure your employment:
- Know how to prepare meals
- You know a second language
- You are willing to take care of pets
Training and Education in South Carolina
To start your career in this state, you need a minimum of training to get licensed.
Although licensing is not required by law, you can only get a job if you have one.
The training programs for home health aides are offered through trade schools all over South Carolina.
The program you choose should contain 75 training hours, from which 16 will be hands-on practice.
You will be able to sit for the exam if you completed the training program.
If you pass the exam, you will receive a license that needs to be renewed each year.
To keep your license, you have to take 12 additional hours of education and apply it to get it renewed.
The classes taught in the program include, but aren’t limited to:
- Processes of development and aging
- Personal care services
- Infection control
- Nutrition
- Maintaining the least restrictive environment
- Body mechanics
- Assistive technology
To attend one of the training programs, you also have to meet some criteria as follows:
- Be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or an equivalent
- Pass a tuberculosis test
- Pass a background check
- Be able to read and to write
- You want to learn new things
- You don’t have any kind of addictions
In South Carolina, you can enroll in a program in one of the following schools:
School Name | Address |
---|---|
Aman Institute | 4881 Whiskey Road Aiken, SC 29803 |
Carolina Career Institute | 6615 Two Notch Road, Suite B Columbia, SC 29223 |
Carolina Nursing Assistant Program | 2712 Middleburg Drive Columbia, SC 29204 |
Cope Area Career Center | 6052 Slab Landing Road Cope, SC 29038 |
Denmark Technical College Continuing Education | 664 Joey. Zorn Blvd. Barnwell, SC 29042 |
Denmark Technical College Continuing Education | P.O. Box 327 Denmark, SC 29042 |
Forest College | 601 E. River Street Anderson, SC 29624 |
Greenville Technical College | 506 South Pleasantburg Drive Greenville, SC 29607 |
Heyward Career and Technology Center | 3560 Lynhaven Drive Columbia, SC 29204 |
Horry Georgetown Technical College at Conway | 2050 U.S. 501 Conway, SC 29526 |
Ignite Healthcare Institute | 348 Seaster Road Greenville, SC 29615 |
J. Harley Bond Career Center | 505 N Main Street. Greer, SC 29650 |
Lexington County School District | 101 West Columbia Avenue Betesburg-Leesville, SC 29006 |
NHC Garden City | 9405 Highway 17 Bypass Murell Inlet, SC 29576 |
NOC Training Center | 2065 E Bobo Newsom Hwy. Hartsville, SC 29550 |
Northeastern Technical College | 1201 Chesterfield Highway Chesterfield, SC 29520 |
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College | 3250 St Matthews Road Orangeburg, SC 29118 |
Piedmont Technical College | P.O. Box 1467 Greenwood, SC 29646 |
Professional Development and Training Services | 1000 York Street Camden , SC 29020 |
Professional Medical Training Center | 1610 North Church Street Conway, SC 29526 |
Spartanburg Community College | 1875 East Main Street (Highway 290) Duncan, SC 29334 |
Sumter County Career Center | 2612 McCrays Mill Road Sumter, SC 29150 |
Technical College of the Lowcounty | P. O. Box 1288 Beaufort, SC 29901 |
Tri-County Technical College | 7900 Highway 76 Pendleton, SC 29670 |
Trident Technical College | P.O. Box 11867 Charleston, SC 29423 |
Williamsburg Technical College | 601 Martin Luther King Jr Ave Kingstree, SC 29556 |
York Technical College | 452 South Anderson Rd Rock Hill, SC 29732 |
The training programs for home health aides in South Carolina have a duration of a few weeks.
So, you don’t need to spend a long time studying before you can start making money.
Of course, you can also choose to pursue higher education or additional classes.
Some of these include CPR certification or anatomy lessons.
Having any of these certifications will provide you with better chances to earn a higher salary.
Salary and Employment in South Carolina
After you finished your program and your certification was issued, you can start looking for a job.
The most important facilities that hire home health aides in South Carolina are:
- Children’s Hospital of Greenville
- Chest Pain Center of Greenville
- Greenville Hospital System
- Spartanburg Regional Healthcare
Salaries are generally higher in the larger cities.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Charleston | $24,180 |
Columbia | $23,914 |
North Charleston | $24,180 |
Mount Pleasant | $24,180 |
Rock Hill | $25,062 |
Greenville | $24,842 |
Summerville | $24,073 |
Goose Creek | $24,144 |
Sumter | $22,768 |
Hilton Head Island | $23,647 |
Regional Salary in South Carolina
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 3,140 | $31,180 | $14.99 | $36,460 | $22,910 |
Columbia, SC | 5,250 | $28,070 | $13.49 | $32,770 | $21,390 |
Florence, SC | 1,850 | $26,940 | $12.95 | $34,470 | $20,280 |
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 6,340 | $28,220 | $13.57 | $35,320 | $22,410 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 1,850 | $29,330 | $14.1 | $34,890 | $22,730 |
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 2,030 | $27,650 | $13.29 | $33,700 | $20,940 |
Spartanburg, SC | 2,630 | $28,620 | $13.76 | $33,440 | $22,610 |
Sumter, SC | 710 | $27,500 | $13.22 | $34,250 | $21,880 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Other Info About Home Health Aides in South Carolina
As a home health aide in this state, you will work in a hospital or in a home, which is more common.
The job may require you to work at nights and help the client with any basic life task they ask.
The most important aspect is finishing your training in order to get your first job.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Home Health Aide