Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Piedmont Technical College

Piedmont Technical College's practical nursing program sits in the bottom half of South Carolina options—ranking 40th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $42,734, compared to a state median of $47,544. More concerning is the earnings trajectory: graduates see their income drop 14% by year four to $36,657, while peers at York Technical or Orangeburg Calhoun maintain earnings above $50,000. That's nearly $15,000 less annually than top in-state alternatives, a gap that compounds significantly over a career.

The one bright spot is debt. At $22,500, it matches the state median and represents just 53 cents for every dollar earned in year one—far better than the national median debt of the same amount against lower typical earnings elsewhere. Still, when your child could attend York Tech (just two hours away) and earn $11,500 more in their first year with similar debt, the math favors exploring those alternatives.

Keep in mind the sample size here is quite small, so these numbers may not be fully representative. If Piedmont is the only realistic option due to location or family circumstances, the modest debt load provides some cushion. But for families with flexibility, South Carolina offers several technical colleges where nursing graduates earn substantially more right out of the gate and sustain those earnings over time.