Firm counts, employment, and wages for 40 small-business-typical industries reported in South Carolina by the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Click any industry for a national comparison.
Sorted by establishment count. Location quotient (LQ) compares South Carolina's industry concentration to the national average — LQ > 1 means denser than national; LQ < 1 means thinner.
| Industry | Firms | Employment | Avg Pay | LQ | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 4,870 | 99,835 | $26,082 | 1.17 | +4.1% |
| Quick-service restaurants | 4,286 | 82,074 | $20,696 | 1.02 | +2.4% |
| Offices of lawyers | 3,233 | 16,310 | $102,765 | 1.09 | +4.9% |
| Gas stations with convenience stores | 2,228 | 18,707 | $30,444 | 1.39 | +1.9% |
| Engineering services | 1,968 | 17,852 | $105,935 | 1.25 | +9.3% |
| Landscaping services | 1,846 | 13,400 | $48,136 | 0.95 | +2.2% |
| Dental practices | 1,843 | 15,935 | $69,613 | 0.86 | +3.7% |
| Plumbing, heating & AC contractors | 1,826 | 17,726 | $67,398 | 0.94 | +0.9% |
| Other general-merchandise retailers | 1,826 | 0 | $0 | 1.80 | +8.2% |
| Janitorial services | 1,426 | 16,676 | $29,624 | 1.09 | +4.9% |
| Electrical contractors | 1,274 | 11,821 | $67,675 | 0.81 | +2.1% |
| CPA offices | 1,100 | 5,129 | $89,273 | 1.10 | +9.1% |
| Other accounting services | 1,079 | 2,688 | $64,286 | 0.96 | +13.2% |
| General auto repair | 1,012 | 5,131 | $56,388 | 0.75 | +1.7% |
| Portfolio management & investment advice | 994 | 2,523 | $159,448 | 0.71 | +7.1% |
| Beauty salons | 912 | 3,983 | $36,450 | 0.74 | +5.7% |
| Supermarkets & grocery | 862 | 43,888 | $27,678 | 0.93 | +3.7% |
| Child day care | 817 | 10,588 | $29,102 | 0.66 | +0.6% |
| Fitness & recreational sports centers | 674 | 9,841 | $15,788 | 0.95 | +6.0% |
| Physical therapists | 626 | 5,370 | $51,983 | 0.77 | +7.7% |
| Convenience retailers | 622 | 1,986 | $24,584 | 1.12 | +4.5% |
| Chiropractors | 618 | 2,076 | $38,630 | 0.99 | +1.1% |
| All other miscellaneous retailers | 601 | 2,627 | $54,631 | 1.14 | +4.7% |
| Veterinary services | 578 | 7,678 | $54,860 | 1.03 | +3.0% |
| Auto body & paint | 544 | 3,856 | $63,469 | 0.97 | +7.5% |
| Drinking places (bars) | 509 | 4,998 | $27,764 | 0.76 | +5.2% |
| Other health practitioners | 455 | 2,347 | $54,127 | 0.74 | +17.9% |
| Pet care (except veterinary) | 440 | 3,147 | $28,063 | 1.03 | +9.5% |
| Roofing contractors | 360 | 2,555 | $65,880 | 0.72 | +10.4% |
| All other auto repair & maintenance | 282 | 1,167 | $52,336 | 2.35 | +7.6% |
| Other similar organizations | 255 | 2,686 | $51,626 | 1.05 | +9.9% |
| Optometrists | 247 | 1,733 | $51,483 | 0.73 | -1.2% |
| Drycleaning & laundry | 176 | 1,389 | $27,228 | 0.75 | -3.8% |
| Florists | 171 | 664 | $27,798 | 0.89 | +1.2% |
| Motor-vehicle parts wholesale | 160 | 1,544 | $71,368 | 0.68 | +6.0% |
| Book retailers & news dealers | 121 | 1,039 | $24,929 | 0.98 | +0.0% |
| Auto glass replacement | 118 | 687 | $53,753 | 1.04 | +22.9% |
| Barber shops | 114 | 526 | $40,446 | 0.88 | +10.7% |
| Religious organizations | 78 | 592 | $40,718 | 0.19 | +13.0% |
| Parking lots & garages | 40 | 733 | $23,762 | 0.32 | +5.3% |