How many sign shops are in South Carolina, and what do they pay?
South Carolina against the states around it
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | New Jersey | 1,991 | $70,504 | |
| 12 | Tennessee | 2,038 | $57,722 | |
| 13 | South Carolina | 1,726 | $58,640 | |
| 14 | Colorado | 1,500 | $56,796 | |
| 15 | Missouri | 1,648 | $55,078 |
The full ranking of all 51 states is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 713. U.S. total: 7,581 shops, 76,480 employees, $63,399 average pay.
Putting up a sign in South Carolina
The shops counted here sell into cities that each permit signs under their own code, and the permit is usually the longest step in a sign job. For the largest local market in these figures, PrinterFlo's summary of the sign rules in Charleston sets out what needs a permit, the size limits and what the city checks before a sign goes up.
Questions
How many sign shops are in South Carolina?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 175 sign manufacturing establishments in South Carolina in 2024 (annual average, private employers), ranking South Carolina 13 of 51 states. Together they employed 1,726 people, about 9.9 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in South Carolina?
Average annual pay across South Carolina's sign shops was $58,640 in 2024, 8% below the U.S. sign industry average of $63,399. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, South Carolina, 2024 and 2023 annual averages, read September 22, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.