Greenville County Schools salary schedule: certificate class changes and graduate-level hours

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How is the Greenville County teacher salary schedule organized?

The district's FY2026-27 teacher salary schedule, posted on its salaries and pay schedules page, has five columns:

• Bachelor's
• Bachelor's + 18
• Master's
• Master's + 30
• Doctorate

Rows run by years of experience from 0 to 38 or more, and the schedule shows both an hourly and an annual figure for each cell. Teachers with 0 or 1 year of experience work added supplemental days, which the schedule includes in their annual pay. Pay figures are on the schedule. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains columns and steps.

Which units count toward a Greenville County class change?

The state sets the rules. The SCDE's Certificate Class Levels page says coursework for class advancement must be earned through "an institution accredited for general collegiate purposes by an institutional accreditation organization," a South Carolina institution with board-approved teacher education programs, or one approved by a partner national accreditor. It adds that "professional education credit must be earned through an institution that has a teacher education program approved for initial certification."

For the Master's + 30 class, a teacher can, among other routes, "earn 30 semester hours of graduate credit above the master's degree with 21 hours of the graduate credit in one area of concentration." Those hours "may or may not be in the teacher's initial area of certification." Up to 9 of the 30 hours may be "professional education electives or related fields," and the coursework must be finished within seven years of starting it, unless the college revalidates it. Other MA+30 routes include a second master's, a specialist's degree, or a master's of at least 60 graduate semester hours.

The same page defines BA+18 as "18 graduate semester hours related to professional education or a certification field" and applies the seven-year rule to "the BA+18 or the MA+30 class levels on a course-by-course basis." It also notes that "the South Carolina General Assembly has eliminated the BA+18 category from the state minimum teacher salary schedule." Greenville County's FY2026-27 schedule still prints a Bachelor's + 18 column, so ask Human Resources how a BA+18 certificate is paid before planning around that column. Our article on graduate-level course types explains the labels transcripts use.

Does Greenville County require approval before you take a course?

The district handbook sets no course approval of its own; the state does. The SCDE's Certificate Class Levels page says "prior to beginning online coursework, educators must request approval using My SC Educator Portal," with a PDF of the course description uploaded to the portal. "Pre-approval requests and course descriptions must be provided at least 45 days prior to enrollment," and "approval for online coursework cannot be given via phone or email." The same rule applies to online programs. For other coursework, the SCDE says educators "are encouraged to request verification" before enrolling.

When the hours are done, the teacher requests the class change through My SC Educator Portal and has official transcripts sent from each college. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep.

When does a Greenville County pay change take effect?

Greenville County sets no single filing date; timing follows the certificate. Its Certification and Professional Development Handbook says:

• What to send: after the SCDE modifies the certificate "to reflect a degree upgrade or additional years of experience," send a copy of the changed certificate with the District Request Change Action form to Human Resources. "A transcript or other supporting document cannot replace the certificate for this purpose."
• Start date: "The effective date placed on your certificate by the SCDE will be the date entered for the start of your pay change."
• July 1 dates: a July 1 effective date starts the change "on the first day of pay the following school year."
• No backdating: "Pay changes cannot be entered for previous school years."

Send the changed certificate as soon as the state issues it. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for getting transcripts to the state quickly.

Do the same units count toward South Carolina certificate renewal?

They can, but renewal is a separate count. The district handbook says the SCDE requires 120 renewal points during the certificate's five-year validity period, and renewal activities must relate to the teacher's professional growth and development plan. Greenville County teachers can use their Performance Assessment System SLO form as that plan. The district also requires every teacher to take at least 24 hours of professional development each school year. Official transcripts for renewal credit go directly from the college to Human Resources, which tells the teacher when they arrive, and out-of-district in-service must be submitted within 180 days of finishing the activity. The South Carolina renewal section has the full state rules, and the South Carolina state guide covers how class levels work across the state.

Where can Greenville County teachers earn graduate-level units?

Every district, Greenville County included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Greenville County's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.

Before you enroll: In South Carolina the state, not the district, decides whether hours raise your class level. "Prior to beginning online coursework, educators must request approval using My SC Educator Portal," and "pre-approval requests and course descriptions must be provided at least 45 days prior to enrollment" (SCDE Certificate Class Levels). Send the request through the portal before you enroll; approval "cannot be given via phone or email."

Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts

With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:

• Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
• Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
• Credits for Teachers: self-paced, 6 months, units through Valley City State, Adams State, UMass Global or CSU Pueblo; from $349 for 3 credits (price notes)
• Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
• For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo for 3 credits (price notes)
• Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)

The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Greenville County has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.

Sources

1. Certification and Professional Development Handbook, revised 2026, Greenville County Schools. Checked November 12, 2026
2. FY2026-27 Teacher Salary Schedule, Greenville County Schools. Checked November 12, 2026
3. Salaries and pay schedules, Greenville County Schools. Checked November 12, 2026
4. Certificate Class Levels, South Carolina Department of Education. Checked November 12, 2026

Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error