Select Page
The best options for medical assistant programs in South Carolina having some of the best enrollment they have seen in years due to the growth in allied health careers across the state of South Carolina. In our article below, we will cover the 5 steps to become a medical assistant in South Carolina, what the latest job outlook is, how to go about getting certified and more.

How to become a medical assistant in South Carolina

The state of South Carolina does not mandate that medical assistants need to be certified for employment. But, they do recommend it for that the state’s employers are more and more likely to require it for hiring. For more details about the national organizations that regulate medical assistants, click on our link here.

The Steps for Becoming a Medical Assistant in South Carolina

The exact process for becoming a medical assistant in South Carolina is shown in the following steps.

Find Medical Assistant Classes in South Carolina Today

Search Medical Assistant Programs

Get information on Medical Assistant programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Search

Step 1 – Interested in Getting Your Medical Assistant Certification in South Carolina

Even though the state of South Carolina does not mandate certification for its medical assistants, it is highly regarded as a smart career choice. But, there are job options for non-certified medical assistants across the state. As a whole though, it can put a “ceiling” on your career growth in the field.

Step 2 – Choose the Right Education Level for Your Career in South Carolina

Another choice you will have to make is whether or not your goal is to earn a an associate degree in medical assisting, or a diploma. While both credentials may qualify you for entry-level medical assisting opportunities, there are a number of significant distinctions between them. If you want to see those differences in more detail, see our in depth breakdown here.
Search Medical Assistant Programs

Get information on Medical Assistant programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

Step 3 – Take Accredited South Carolina CMA Classes

With the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools being the accrediting bodies for medical assisting training in South Carolina, it is necessary to attend a school accredited by them. If you do not, you will not be able to get certified in the state of South Carolina as a medical assistant.

Accredited medical assistant programs in South Carolina

Aiken Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
PO Drawer 696 US Highway 1 and 78 South Aiken, SC 29802
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 10/18/2002
Degrees: Certificate
Program Director: Crystal Driesen AOS, RMA
Phone: (803) 508-7239
driesenc@atc.edu
www.atc.edu

Central Carolina Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
506 N Guignard Dr Sumter, SC 29150-2468
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 7/21/2000
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Micheline Wheeler RN, RMA (AMT)
Phone: (803) 778-7809
wheelermb@cctech.edu
www.cctech.edu

Forrest College – Medical Assisting Program
601 East River Street Anderson, SC 29624-2405
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 5/19/1994
Degrees: Associate
Program Director: Celina C Chastain CMA (AAMA), MA, CPT, ASCP
Phone: (864) 225-7653 Ext -2230
celinachastain@forrestcollege.edu
www.forrestcollege.edu

Greenville Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
Post Office Box 5616 MS 5011 Greenville, SC 29606-5616
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 4/23/1998
Degrees: Certificate
Program Director: Melissa N Hester BA, CMA (AAMA)
Phone: (864) 250-8308
Melissa.hester@gvltec.edu
www.gvltec.edu

Midlands Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
1262 Lexington Dr West Columbia, SC 29170
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 10/18/1996
Degrees: Certificate
Program Director: Sherri L. Dykes CMA(AAMA), AAS, GXMO
Phone: (803) 822-3466
dykess@midlandstech.edu
www.midlandstech.edu

Miller-Motte Technical College-Conway – Medical Assisting Program
2451 E Highway 501 Conway, SC 29526
Status: Initial
Initial Accreditation Date: 9/19/2014
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Kristy James MBA
Phone: (843) 591-1148
kristy.royea@miller-motte.edu
www.miller-motte.edu/campuses/conway-career-training

Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
3250 Saint Matthews Rd NE
Orangeburg, SC 29118-8222
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 4/27/1996
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Sharon Cheek AS, MLT(ASCP)
Phone: (803) 535-1346
cheeks@octech.edu
www.octech.edu

Piedmont Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
620 North Emerald Road Greenwood, SC 29646
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 4/19/2001
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Deborah McCallum BSN, RN, RMA(AMT)
Phone: (864) 941-8464
mccallum.d@ptc.edu
www.ptc.edu

South University-Columbia – Medical Assisting Program
9 Science Ct Columbia, SC 29203
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 4/19/2002
Degrees: Associate
Program Director: Oneyke Davis DC, MHA, RMA, CCMA
Phone: (803) 934-4412
ondavis@southuniversity.edu
www.southuniversity.edu

Spartanburg Community College – Medical Assisting Program
107 Community College Drive PO Box 4386 Spartanburg, SC 29303-4759
Satellite Locations/Multiple Campuses
Gaffney, SC
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 10/19/1998
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Pamela P Morgan AAS, CMA (AAMA)
Phone: (864) 592-4272
morganp@sccsc.edu
www.sccsc.edu

Tri-County Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
7900 Highway 76 P O Box 587 Pendleton, SC 29670
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 4/19/2002
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Laura L. McClain CMA(AAMA), RN
Phone: (864) 646-1352 Ext -210
lmcclain@tctc.edu
www.tctc.edu

Trident Technical College – Medical Assisting Program
7000 Rivers Avenue AH-M PO Box 118067 North Charleston, SC 29423-8067
Status: Continuing
Initial Accreditation Date: 5/3/1990
Degrees: Diploma
Program Director: Deborah L. White CMA (AAMA), MS/HPE
Phone: (843) 574-6103
deborah.white@tridenttech.edu
www.tridenttech.edu

Southeastern College (North Charleston)
2431 Aviation Avenue
North Charleston, South Carolina 29406
ABHES ID#: MA-527
Phone: (843) 747-1279
Fax: (843) 747-7159
Medical Assisting – Certificate (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2018
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2022
Contact Details: Mr. Timothy Van Horn, Campus President
Email: tvanhorn@southeasterninstitute.edu
www.sec.edu

Southeastern College (Columbia)
581 Columbia Mall Blvd.
Columbia, South Carolina 29223
ABHES ID#: MA-526
Phone: (803) 798-8800
Fax: (803) 798-0003
Medical Assisting – Certificate (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2018
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2022
Contact Details: Ms. Janet Clark, Campus President
Email: jaclark@southeasterninstitute.edu
www.sec.edu

Fortis College (Columbia)
246 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 101
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
ABHES ID#: I-254-04
Phone: (803) 678-4800
Fax: (803) 678-4839
Medical Assisting – Certificate (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2009
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2019
Contact Details: Ms. Jennifer Yarnell, Campus President
Email: jyarnell@fortiscollege.edu
www.fortis.edu

ECPI University, School of Health Science, Medical Careers Institute (North Charleston)
7410 Northside Drive, Suite G101
North Charleston, South Carolina 29420
ABHES ID#: MA-113
Phone: (843) 414-0350
Fax: (843) 572-8085
Medical Assisting – Associate of Applied Science in Health Science (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2006
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2023
Contact Details: Mr. James Weaver, Campus Director
Email: jweaver@ecpi.edu
www.ecpi.edu

ECPI University, School of Health Science, Medical Careers Institute (Greenville)
1001 Keys Drive, Suite 100
Greenville, South Carolina 29615
ABHES ID#: MA-119
Phone: (864) 288-2828
Fax: (864) 288-2930
Medical Assisting – Associate of Applied Science in Health Science (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2007
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2025
Contact Details: Ms. Karen Burgess, Campus President
Email: kburgess@ecpi.edu
www.ecpi.edu

ECPI University, School of Health Science, Medical Careers Institute (Columbia)
250 Berryhill Road, Suite 300
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
ABHES ID#: MA-486
Phone: (803) 772-3333
Fax: (803) 772-2922
Medical Assisting – Associate of Applied Science in Health Science (Residential)
Initial Year Accredited: 2013
Currently Accredited Through: February 28, 2024
Contact Details: Mr. James Rund, Campus President
Email: JRund@ecpi.edu
www.ecpi.edu

Step 4 – Finish Required Hours Clinical Training in South Carolina

When you are looking at finally graduating from a medical assistant training program, to be able to move ahead with the certification process, every training course in South Carolina for medical assisting mandates that prospective medical assistants complete a specific number of practice hours in a clinical environment.

You will not be able to take any certification exam unless you have finished all of the required hours.

Step 5 – Pass South Carolina Medical Assisting Certification Examination

Since you have to pass one of the national certification exams to become a medical assistant in South Carolina, you will need what to do to have great success in that process. We take care of that with our in depth look at the test and what it entails.

South Carolina Medical Assistant Salary, Jobs and Overall Outlook

Due to the 20% increase in additional opportunities for medical assistants in South Carolina the time to start in medical assistant training could not be better than today. Compare salary information for South Carolina by region below.
LocationPay TypeLowMedianHigh
United StatesHourly$10.99$15.17$21.78
Yearly$22,870$31,540$45,310
South CarolinaHourly$10.50$14.14$18.85
Yearly$21,850$29,410$39,210
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSAHourly$12.08$15.96$21.18
Yearly$25,130$33,190$44,060
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC MSAHourly$11.87$15.08$20.34
Yearly$24,680$31,370$42,300
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC MSAHourly$10.58$14.45$19.28
Yearly$22,010$30,060$40,110
Spartanburg, SC MSAHourly$11.76$14.15$19.19
Yearly$24,460$29,430$39,920
Columbia, SC MSAHourly$10.83$13.98$18.63
Yearly$22,520$29,080$38,750
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC MSAHourly$10.75$13.96$18.71
Yearly$22,360$29,040$38,910
Low Country South Carolina BOSHourly$10.45$13.90$20.82
Yearly$21,730$28,920$43,310
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC MSAHourly$10.20$13.75$18.14
Yearly$21,210$28,600$37,730
Upper Savannah South Carolina BOSHourly$9.52$13.61$17.89
Yearly$19,800$28,300$37,200
Pee Dee South Carolina BOSHourly$10.12$13.58$18.11
Yearly$21,040$28,250$37,670
Lower Savannah South Carolina BOSHourly$10.38$13.47$17.36
Yearly$21,600$28,010$36,110
Sumter, SC MSAHourly$9.54$13.20$17.26
Yearly$19,850$27,460$35,890
Florence, SC MSAHourly$9.89$12.45$20.50
Yearly$20,580$25,890$42,650

Local Options for Medical Assisting Classes in South Carolina

Search Medical Assistant Programs

Get information on Medical Assistant programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings