The University of South Carolina has been named one of America’s Best-in-State Employers for South Carolina for 2026 by Forbes.
Not only does this honor affirm USC’s commitment to providing top-notch resources and experiences to the over 10,000 faculty and staff across the USC system but also recognizes the strides the university has made in previous years to enhance the experience for its employees.
The Division of Human Resources completed a compensation study in 2022, leading to the implementation of pay structures better aligning USC employee pay with salaries in the private sector.
The university also developed a comprehensive plan to not only attract new talent but retain top talent at USC, a roughly $4.3 million investment to raise employee salaries.
In 2023, the university also raised its minimum hourly wage across the USC system for approximately 600 full-time staff members and USC Columbia recently expanded its tuition assistance program – which pays for USC employees to take up to 16 credit hours an academic year — so more employees have access to the service.
USC employees have access to a comprehensive benefits package as, along with a variety of perks and discounts including early childhood education support for children of employees, scholarships for the dependents of USC employees, employee wellness programs and a host of professional development opportunities.
The university is one of the biggest employers and economic drives in the state of South Carolina, employing over 12,000 people and having an annual economic impact of about $7.4 billion.
As of 2025, the USC system is home to 12,742 employees with 10,295 employees at USC Columbia.
Forbes, in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, selected America’s Best-In-State Employers 2026 through an independent survey from a sample of over 245,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 500 people within the U.S.
The final score is determined through two evaluation channels: direct assessments provided by employees, and public feedback from friends, family members and industry peers.
View the full list on the Forbes website.