Florence, SC & the Pee Dee Region
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A direct, honest guide for parents whose student is choosing a different path — what the trade path costs, what it pays, and exactly how to start.
A direct, honest guide for parents whose student is choosing a different path — what the trade path costs, what it pays, and exactly how to start.
If your son or daughter has told you they do not want to go to a four-year college, you may have felt a wave of something you could not quite name. Worry, maybe. Uncertainty about what happens next. A quiet fear that the window for a stable future just got smaller.
It did not. In Florence County, the window for a good life through the trade path is wide open. The question is not whether it exists. The question is whether anyone has sat down with you and explained exactly what it looks like, what it costs, and how to walk through it.
That is what this article is for.
Nobody is going to hand your child a career. But in Florence right now, the path to one does not require four years and a degree. It requires a decision and a starting point.
The trade path is not a backup plan. It is a distinct route to stable, skilled employment that pays competitive wages, often starts faster than a four-year degree, and in many cases carries less debt.
In Florence County, that path runs primarily through Florence-Darlington Technical College — FDTC — located at 2715 West Lucas Street. FDTC offers more than 60 programs of study, including short-term certificates, diplomas, and two-year associate degrees. The programs most in demand right now are:
Structural welding, pipe welding, and MIG/TIG welding certifications. Short-term certificates available in addition to longer diploma programs.
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. One of the most in-demand trades in South Carolina, where the climate guarantees year-round work.
Healthcare is Florence County's largest employment sector. The CNA program is a direct entry point into that world, with further advancement available after certification.
Desk-based healthcare work. Fully trainable at FDTC and in high demand across HopeHealth, McLeod Health, and regional health networks.
Hands-on professional kitchen training with a real career pipeline.
A growing field with multiple credential pathways and strong local demand.
Manufacturing-focused programs that feed directly into employers like ABB, GE Healthcare, and other Florence industrial operations.
This is not an exhaustive list. FDTC's full catalog includes programs in automotive technology, computer networking, business administration, cosmetology, and dental assisting. The range is wide enough to meet a motivated student wherever their interest actually lives.
This is usually the question parents ask first, and it deserves a direct answer.
Entry-level: $34,000 – $43,000 per year
Skilled welders (2-4 years): $45,000 – $56,000
Specialized pipe/structural welders: $55,000+
FDTC offers scholarships for Structural Welders and Pipe Welders who agree to work in the nuclear power industry for a minimum of six months after certification.
Entry-level technicians: $43,000 – $50,000 per year
Mid-level (2-4 years experience): $55,000 – $65,000
Senior technicians: $70,000+
Commercial HVAC / business owners: Can exceed $100,000
Starting pay: $17 – $19 per hour
Overtime and benefits common at McLeod Health and HopeHealth in Florence
CNAs who pursue LPN or RN credentials — which FDTC supports through transfer pathways — see significant salary growth.
Entry-level production/maintenance: $35,000 – $50,000 per year
Benefits and advancement built into most company structures
Florence's manufacturing sector, anchored by GE Healthcare, ABB, and Otis, offers structured career pathways.
An HVAC technician five years into their career in South Carolina earns more than the majority of four-year college graduates nationally. These wages also exist in a county where the cost of living is meaningfully lower than South Carolina's major metro areas. A $45,000 salary in Florence goes considerably further than the same salary in Columbia or Charleston. Your child can own a home here. That is part of the equation.
FDTC tuition is calculated by credit hour and is among the most affordable in the state. Florence County residents pay the in-county rate, which is the lowest tier. The FDTC Financial Aid Office can walk you through the exact cost for any specific program. Call 843-661-8085 or email [email protected].
Here is what can reduce or eliminate that cost entirely:
Students who complete the FAFSA may qualify for Pell Grant funding, which does not need to be repaid. FDTC's school code for the FAFSA is 003990. Even students who do not think they will qualify should apply — eligibility thresholds are broader than most families assume.
A statewide technical college scholarship program specifically designed to address workforce shortages in South Carolina. Available to students majoring in critical workforce areas — welding, HVAC, healthcare, and others qualify. SC WINS is awarded after all other aid is applied and can cover remaining tuition and fees.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a federal program that can cover the full cost of vocational training for eligible students. WIOA funding is administered locally through SC Works Pee Dee at 1558 West Evans Street in Florence. A counselor there can assess eligibility in a single visit. For many Florence County students, WIOA means the training costs nothing out of pocket.
FDTC has a dedicated scholarship fund specifically for Structural Welders, Valve Technicians, and Pipe Welders. Recipients agree to work in the nuclear power industry for a minimum of six months after completing their program. This is a direct pipeline from certification to employment with scholarship support built in.
Some Florence-area employers offer on-the-job training agreements through SC Works where the employer receives reimbursement for training a new hire. This means a student can sometimes begin working and earning while completing their training simultaneously.
The most important step before paying anything: Visit SC Works Pee Dee at 1558 West Evans Street or call 843-407-9679 and ask specifically about WIOA eligibility for the program your student is considering. Do this before applying to FDTC, before paying a deposit, before anything. If your student qualifies, the training may cost nothing.
One of the most common misconceptions parents have about the trade path is that it takes as long as a degree. It does not.
FDTC's Corporate and Workforce Development division offers non-credit certificate programs in welding basics, CNA, and other fields that can be completed in under a semester. These are designed for students who want to enter the workforce as quickly as possible.
These result in a formal college credential and take one to two semesters of full-time enrollment. They qualify for financial aid including Pell Grants and WIOA funding.
A diploma represents a deeper credential in a specific trade. Welding Technology, HVAC, and several healthcare programs fall in this range.
For students who want the broadest credential and the strongest foundation for advancement. The associate degree is available in most fields and can feed transfer pathways to four-year institutions if goals change.
A student who enrolls in FDTC in August 2026 and pursues a certificate or diploma program can be employed in their field by spring or summer of 2027. That is a realistic timeline, not an optimistic one.
Florence County is not asking students to move away to find work in the trades. The employers are already here.
Operates a major MRI manufacturing facility in Florence. Hires for production, maintenance, and technical roles. Entry-level manufacturing positions are a documented pathway into the company.
The global technology and automation company has operations in Florence and actively hires for assembly, quality inspection, and engineering support roles.
Florence County's largest healthcare employer. Consistent pipeline need for CNAs, medical coders, and allied health workers.
Florence County healthcare anchor. Between McLeod and HopeHealth, thousands of Florence residents are employed with consistent hiring needs.
Has Florence-area operations and hires manufacturing and maintenance workers.
The residential and commercial construction market in Florence County supports multiple local contractors who hire FDTC graduates regularly.
The SC Works Pee Dee Integrated Business Services Team works directly with these employers to identify open positions and connect them with trained candidates from the local workforce. This is not a job board. It is a direct channel between your student and the companies doing the hiring.
1558 West Evans Street, Florence. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointment needed.
Ask specifically about WIOA eligibility for the program your student is considering. This one conversation can determine whether training is free.
The online application is straightforward. Call 843-661-8289 or email [email protected] with any questions. If your student is in a hurry, the admissions team can help expedite enrollment.
Use FDTC's school code 003990. Even if you are unsure whether your family qualifies for aid, submit it. Financial aid eligibility is determined by the form, not by assumptions.
FDTC Financial Aid Office: 843-661-8085 | [email protected]
Once the application and FAFSA are in, a counselor can show you exactly what your student's aid package looks like — Pell, SC WINS, and any program-specific scholarships combined with WIOA if applicable.
Fall 2026 semester begins August 10. Tuition for fall classes is due August 3. Spring 2027 begins January 11. If your student is not ready for fall, the spring timeline gives more runway without losing a full year.
The discomfort many parents feel about the trade path is not really about the path itself. It is about whether their child will be okay. That is a different question, and it deserves a direct answer.
A Florence County student who completes a welding certificate or an HVAC diploma at FDTC and goes to work for a local employer will be okay. They will have health insurance. They will have a paycheck. They will have the option to grow — into more advanced certifications, into supervisory roles, into running their own operation someday if that is where their ambition takes them.
They will also have something else: a skill that belongs to them. Nobody can outsource a pipe welder. Nobody can automate an HVAC service call. The work that comes from these programs is local, physical, and in demand in ways that do not fluctuate with the economy the way white-collar employment does.
Florence has more runway for this path than most families realize. Young Florence SC is here to help you find it.
Phone: 843-661-8289
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2715 West Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29501
Phone: 843-661-8085
Email: [email protected]
Address: 1558 West Evans Street, Florence
Phone: 843-407-9679
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Website: fafsa.gov
FDTC School Code: 003990
SC WINS: Ask FDTC Financial Aid