Lower paid SC state employees may get largest percentage pay raise in years
South Carolina’s state employees are in line to receive pay increases to help them cope with inflation under a House budget plan that will be debated in mid-March.
House budget writers have proposed a $2,500 raise for state employees earning $83,000 or less; those earning more than $83,000 will receive a 3% raise. The pay increases would cost about $124 million.
Proportionately those making less money would see larger percentage increases than those with higher salaries, a move intended to help employees lower on the pay scale deal with high inflation.
“Inflation is hitting everybody pretty hard, especially those people who have the tightest budgets,” said Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville. “The idea was to really sort of focus on (the) lower paid, more effected by inflation state employee with a $2,500 raise.
“We thought that was the best way to sort of address the inflationary crunch that everybody’s feeling right now,” Bannister said.
Last year, the General Assembly gave state employees a 3% raise. In 2021, state employees received a 2.5% raise.
The proposed raises this year are part of a $13.8 billion spending plan the House Ways and Means Committee approved this week. The full House is scheduled to debate the budget during the week of March 13. Lawmakers have about $3.5 billion in new annual and one-time revenue to allocate in this spring’s budget discussions.
As part of the spending plan, budget writers want the state to cover a 1% increase in contributions to the state retirement system at a cost of about $40 million a year.
Budget writers also proposed spending $121 million on health insurance costs to make sure those on the state health plan don’t see an increase in their premiums.
State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, who consistently advocates for state workers, called the proposed pay increase a great commitment to them.
“Our state employees deserve a raise a decent raise,” Cobb Hunter said. “Remember the state employee because they do a really good job for us.”
