Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2019)
$40.26
(Percent share of total gross state product)
16.27%
Manufacturing Firms in South Carolina (2017)
3,429
South Carolina Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in South Carolina account for 16.27% of the total output in the state, employing 12.04% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $40.26 billion in 2019. In addition, there were an average of 260,000 manufacturing employees in South Carolina in 2020, with an average annual compensation of $76,523.92 in 2019.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2020)
260,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
12.04%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2019)
$76,523.92
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2019)
$43,216.66
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
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South Carolina Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive South Carolina’s economy, with $29.61 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2020. That same year, $9.35 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 29.90% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 85.00% percent of all exporters in South Carolina.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2020)
$29.61
(Percent share of total goods exports)
97.73%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
153,520
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
29.90%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
85.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2020)
$9.35
(Percent of total exports, 2020)
31.58%
Germany
13.73%
Canada
13.41%
China
12.82%
Mexico
6.07%
United Kingdom
4.63%
Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4
Additional Trade Facts
- The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased 48.3% ($659.49 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2019 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
- FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.