COLUMBIA — Agency Head Salary Hikes Approved: Significant Increases for Seven State Officials
The heads of seven state agencies in South Carolina will receive a collective salary hike of $300,000, effective immediately. This decision was made during a recent meeting of the Agency Head Salary Commission as part of an ongoing effort to make the pay for top state government jobs more competitive with other states and the private sector.
Details of Salary Increases
The commission voted unanimously to approve the pay hikes, which were requested by Governor Henry McMaster based on a salary study conducted by a Charlotte-based consultant. Most of the directors in the governor’s cabinet will see their salaries aligned with counterparts in other states. Additionally, the head of the Ethics Commission, which is not in the governor’s cabinet, received a raise as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the approved salary hikes and the number of employees each director oversees:
- Public Safety Director Robert Woods: Salary rises by $58,337 to $237,487; oversees 1,327 employees
- Juvenile Justice Director Eden Hendrick: Salary increases by $57,282 to $215,702; oversees 1,128 employees
- Ethics Commission Director Meghan Walker: Receives a raise of $48,458 to $194,058; oversees 24 employees
- Inspector General Brian Lamkin: Receives an increase of $42,978 to $172,971; oversees 14 employees
- Aging Director Connie Munn: Salary increases by $32,414 to $162,414; oversees 44 employees
- Children’s Advocacy Director Amanda Whittle: Receives a raise of $29,814 to $162,414; oversees 205 employees
- Motor Vehicles Director Kevin Shwedo: Salary rises by $28,768 to $177,998; oversees 1,327 employees
Rationales and Reactions
Governor McMaster commended the agency directors in letters accompanying his recommendations, citing their exceptional work and the unique challenges they’ve faced in recent years. For example, Eden Hendrick took the reins at the Department of Juvenile Justice during a period of significant turmoil and employee protests. Her leadership under difficult circumstances was lauded by the governor, leading to her seeing the highest percentage raise (36%) among her peers.
Conversely, Inspector General Brian Lamkin hadn’t received a performance-based raise since his hiring in 2017. Despite his department’s expanded responsibilities, including the authority to investigate public schools, his salary had not seen a notable increase until now.
Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, expressed some reservations about the approved raises, noting that they are significantly higher than what the state pays starting teachers. The minimum salary for first-year teachers this school year stands at $47,000, which is substantially lower than the raises granted to these agency heads.
“I see the state’s point of trying to be competitive to get people into these positions, but they need to look at state employees as a whole, not just the state agency heads,” East said, highlighting a widespread sentiment that teacher salaries should also receive similar attention.
Overall Context
None of the agency heads benefiting from these raises were among the highest-paid in the state. The actual salaries for these state agency heads range from $100,560 for the head of the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum to $296,066 for the director of the Department of Administration.
This move is part of a broader strategy to boost the salaries of top state officials to align with the national average and to ensure that leadership roles attract and retain high-caliber professionals capable of driving state initiatives effectively.
The decision to hike the salaries takes effect immediately, with directors set to see the increases in their next paycheck.
