SC PEBA · Pension Modeling
SCRS vs. PORS — South Carolina's two pension realities
Greenwood County's workforce sits in two parallel pension systems administered by SC PEBA. SCRS (general workforce) and PORS (certified law enforcement, certified detention officers, and certified paramedics) carry materially different employer rates. Total compensation comparisons are meaningless without isolating which system applies to each classification.
SCRS — General Workforce
18.41%
Employer contribution as % of payroll (eff. 7/1/2025)
Applies to general (non-public-safety) workforce. 5-year vesting. Class III post-7/1/2012 hires.
PORS — Public Safety
21.56%
Employer contribution as % of payroll (eff. 7/1/2025)
Applies to certified law enforcement (Sheriff's Office), certified paramedics/EMTs, and certified detention officers per SC Code §9-11. 8-year vesting.
Vesting and member cost
SCRS members vest in 5 years (Class III post-7/1/2012 hires) and contribute 9.00% of payroll; PORS members vest in 8 years and contribute 9.75%. The vesting differential affects retention modeling — particularly for laterally-recruited PORS classifications where prior-system service may not transfer cleanly.
Why this matters for Greenwood's pay structure
A pay-grade structure that ignores the SCRS / PORS split will systematically misprice certified vs. non-certified positions in the same family. Examples: detention officers, paramedics, and dispatch supervisors. Our pay structure design isolates pension overhead from base recommendations so the County sees true peer pay before pension overhead — the same way the SCAC Salary Survey reports it.
Rates per SC PEBA employer-rate notice effective 7/1/2025. Production figures verified against PEBA Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Greenwood County's 2024-25 Adopted Budget personnel schedule at engagement award.