South Carolina agency head pay raises move forward [Video]

The larger committee is tasked with approving or denying requests for salary increases for the heads of these agencies. An independent study spurred lawmakers to increase the salary range for state agencies by 8.5% at a June meeting.

Senator Greg Hembree says the study, from independent consulting firm Korn Ferry, found that many agency heads are due for pay increases as their expectations grew and inflation increased, making South Carolina less competitive.

“You’re not going to be able to keep these employees, these good qualified employees, unless the state government responds to that,” said Hembree.

He says factors that go into evaluating these requests for increases include tenure, expectations for the job, performance, and how their salary compares to similar agencies.

“You’re competing with the private sector and you want …