Auto repair shops in South Carolina: 987 locations, +0.9% jobs
Official counts for auto repair shops in South Carolina, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how South Carolina compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
South Carolina against the country · 2026 Q1
| South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops with employees | 987 | 86,416 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 18 | 25.4 |
| Jobs | 5,088 | 396,968 |
| Jobs, year over year | +0.9% | -0.2% |
| Locations, year over year | -3.6% | +1.1% |
| Average weekly wage | $1,123 | $1,155 |
| Rank among states, density | 50 of 50 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 17 of 50 |
What the numbers say
South Carolina has 987 auto repair shops with payroll, employing 5,088 people. At 18 per 100,000 residents the market is thinner than the country as a whole, number 50 among the 50 states with published data. Jobs grew +0.9% over the year, ahead of the national -0.2%. Jobs grew faster than locations, which means existing operators are hiring: demand is being absorbed by the businesses already open.
Average pay at auto repair shops in South Carolina is $1,123 a week, 3% below the national figure of $1,155. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of auto repair shops in South Carolina moved +3.7%, from 962 to 998.
Auto repair shops in South Carolina, annual average
- 2021962
- 2022979
- 2023995
- 20241,012
- 2025998
Jobs at auto repair shops in South Carolina
- 20214,787
- 20224,983
- 20235,233
- 20245,131
- 20255,091
What counts as auto repair shops here
General automotive repair: engine, transmission, brake and electrical work on cars and light trucks. Body shops, oil-change chains and glass are counted separately. The code is NAICS 811111. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in South Carolina
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the auto repair shops within reach of one address in South Carolina, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many auto repair shops are there in South Carolina?
BLS counted 987 auto repair shops with employees in South Carolina in 2026 Q1, employing 5,088 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 18 per 100,000 residents, against 25.4 nationally.
Are auto repair shops growing in South Carolina?
Yes. Jobs at auto repair shops in South Carolina changed +0.9% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed -3.6%. That ranks South Carolina 17 of 50 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +3.7%.
Is South Carolina a crowded market for auto repair shops?
South Carolina has 18 auto repair shops per 100,000 residents, thinner than the country as a whole, ranking 50 of 50 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Auto repair shops in every state
Densest first. The number is auto repair shops per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in South Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 811111, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in South Carolina · Growth ranking for South Carolina · Auto repair shops by state