Jury Duty Pay in South Carolina

About Jury Duty in South Carolina

South Carolina has the widest juror pay range in the nation: rates are set per county under S.C. Code § 14-7-1370 and range from $2/day (Richland, Greenville, Anderson, and 9 other counties) to $12.50/day (Beaufort County). Most counties pay $2–$7/day, making South Carolina arguably the lowest-paying state for jurors in many counties.

How Jury Pay Works

Each county sets its own juror compensation rate by statute. The range is extreme:

• $2/day: Richland, Greenville, Anderson, York, and 9 other counties
• $5/day: Berkeley, Horry, Sumter, and 3 other counties
• $12/day: Williamsburg County only
• $12.50/day: Beaufort County only

The state Judicial Department does not prominently publish a unified rate schedule online, making South Carolina’s jury pay data among the least transparent in the country. Mileage reimbursement typically follows the federal GSA rate. The state is a “one day or one trial” jurisdiction.

The Actual Lowest in the Nation

While New Jersey is often cited as having the lowest juror pay ($5/day for first 3 days), South Carolina’s $2/day counties are effectively the lowest in the United States. A juror in Richland County (Columbia, population 420,000) receives $2/day — less than the cost of a cup of coffee — for their civic service. A full week of jury duty in these counties pays just $10.

Employer Obligations

South Carolina employers are not required to pay wages during jury service. They cannot fire or penalize employees, but there is no compensation mandate. Major South Carolina manufacturers (BMW, Boeing, Volvo) typically continue salary for permanent employees, but the state’s large tourism and hospitality workforce — concentrated in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head — generally has no such protection.

How South Carolina Compares

South Carolina’s county-variable rates create the widest disparities of any state. Neighboring Georgia’s range is $5–$50/day by county, but South Carolina’s $2–$12.50 range is dramatically lower at both ends. Federal jurors in South Carolina’s single district receive $50/day — 25× the rate in $2/day counties. The modernization of the state’s jury management system may bring more transparency, but the underlying rates remain among the lowest in the developed world.

Statute: S.C. Code Ann. § 14-7-1370 — Official source