South Carolina Energy Efficiency jobs: 31,530 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, South Carolina employs 31,530 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 1.3% of the U.S. total. That makes South Carolina the 27th-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in South Carolina (2024)
National share: 1.32% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
South Carolina ranks 27th out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 31,530 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 19 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 280,560 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 South Carolina’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The energy efficiency sector nationwide employs roughly 2,381,744 workers; South Carolina accounts for 31,530 of them.
1.3 Where South Carolina sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 31,530 | #27 |
| Hydropower | 7,415 | #2 |
| Nuclear | 4,306 | #1 |
| Solar | 4,176 | #25 |
| Electric Vehicles | 1,994 | #18 |
| Wind | 1,818 | #19 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,097 | #22 |
| Clean Fuels | 249 | #23 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in South Carolina
Every energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for South Carolina in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in South Carolina
South Carolina contributes 1.32% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within South Carolina’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 60.0% of total clean-energy jobs (31,530 of 52,585 workers).
Cost-of-living in South Carolina is roughly 5.7% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for energy efficiency roles in South Carolina is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | South Carolina-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $98,015 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $67,330 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $47,678 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
South Carolina employers rate 28.1% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 21.9% as “somewhat difficult”) — tighter than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 50.0% of South Carolina’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 50,545 |
| Construction | 28,144 |
| Trade | 25,163 |
| Other Services | 17,799 |
| Utilities | 12,125 |
| Professional Services | 7,687 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 4,875 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 815 |
| Mining and Extraction | 127 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.