Commercial trades hiring in Myrtle Beach.
Grand Strand Health is executing a $350M regional expansion anchored by a new 59-bed greenfield hospital, while a 25-story oceanfront tower and the city's $360.7M budget add further demand. Healthcare-construction electricians now run above the national rate.
A hospital-building boom, on top of steady tourism growth.
Myrtle Beach's construction share of employment runs at 7.2%, well above the 5.5% national figure - reflecting both a genuine healthcare-building boom and the Grand Strand's ongoing tourism-driven construction.
Grand Strand Health is executing a $350M regional expansion anchored by the South Strand Hospital - a $220M, 59-bed greenfield facility with 4 operating rooms built by Brasfield & Gorrie, with construction beginning February 2026 and opening targeted for Q4 2027. The plan also includes freestanding emergency rooms in Murrells Inlet, Conway, and Little River, a $55.2M ER/OR/lab enhancement at the main Myrtle Beach campus, and a new $30M, 742-space parking garage.
Separately, Ocean 23 - a 25-story, 227-unit oceanfront timeshare hotel - is moving forward after city approval, and the city's $360.7M FY2026 budget includes a new Fire Station #1 starting this summer.
Major capital projects driving Myrtle Beach commercial trades demand
- Grand Strand Health regional expansion$350M total ($220M South Strand Hospital + $55.2M main campus + $30M parking garage + ~$45M across three freestanding ERs)South Strand Hospital opening Q4 2027
A 59-bed greenfield hospital with 4 operating rooms, plus freestanding ERs in Murrells Inlet, Conway, and Little River, ER/OR/lab enhancements at the main Myrtle Beach campus, and a new 742-space parking garage.
- Ocean 23 oceanfront timeshare hotel~$230MApproved, moving forward
A 25-story, 227-unit oceanfront tower on Ocean Boulevard.
- City of Myrtle Beach FY2026 budget$360.7MFiscal year 2026
Includes construction starting this summer on a new Fire Station #1, plus infrastructure, coastal resilience, and tourism-facility investments.
What you'll actually pay - by role.
Hourly wages for the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC area, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release for May 2025. These are the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile BLS reports — not our estimate of them. Each row names the BLS occupation it was read from, because our job titles and BLS's occupations are not the same list.
Measured against the BLS national median for the same occupation, field trades in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach area run from −24% for plumbers and pipefitters to −11% for HVAC technicians. The spread between trades is wider than the gap between most cities, which is why a single "market premium" figure is not much use when you are pricing a specific role.
| Role | Myrtle Beach hourly | National hourly | Median vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial construction superintendentBLS Construction Managers (11-9021) | $36.27 – $60.57median $46.91 | $42.57 – $72.91median $55.28 | −15% |
| Commercial electrician (journeyman)BLS Electricians (47-2111) | $22.48 – $28.41median $24.62 | $23.76 – $40.36median $30.38 | −19% |
| Commercial plumber, pipefitter or steamfitter (journeyman)BLS Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $21.78 – $29.40median $23.24 | $24.13 – $40.92median $30.67 | −24% |
| Heavy equipment operatorBLS Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $19.93 – $23.83median $22.59 | $23.40 – $37.10median $28.78 | −22% |
| Sheet metal workerBLS Sheet Metal Workers (47-2211) | $18.00 – $27.94median $22.76 | $22.99 – $39.24median $29.71 | −23% |
| Commercial rooferBLS Roofers (47-2181) | $17.74 – $24.62median $22.40 | $22.24 – $31.44median $26.65 | −16% |
| Commercial HVAC technicianBLS Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (49-9021) | $22.49 – $28.42median $26.07 | $23.25 – $37.05median $29.33 | −11% |
| Commercial estimatorBLS Cost Estimators (13-1051) | $25.38 – $40.62median $33.12 | $29.40 – $48.97median $37.86 | −13% |
BLS counts plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters and sprinkler fitters as one occupation. We do not split them here, because splitting them would mean inventing a number BLS does not publish.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. 25th–75th percentile hourly, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, retrieved October 15, 2026. Download the source file (40 MB .zip) and check any figure. BLS publishes no commercial-only, journeyman-only or certification-specific wage, so we do not print one.
What's happening in Myrtle Beach, trade by trade.
Quick read of the current Myrtle Beach market for each of our 20 commercial trades verticals.
HVAC & Mechanical
South Strand Hospital and the main Grand Strand Medical Center campus both need hospital-grade mechanical systems. Standard commercial HVAC carries a modest regional premium.
Commercial Electrical
Healthcare-construction electricians across Grand Strand Health's $350M regional expansion run above the national rate - the clear premium in this metro.
Commercial Plumbing
Medical gas plumbing across South Strand Hospital and the freestanding ER network is the standout specialty at +9%. Standard commercial plumbing carries a modest regional premium.
Commercial Construction
Superintendents with healthcare or high-rise hospitality delivery experience are the premium hire across Grand Strand Health's expansion and Ocean 23.
Commercial Roofing
South Strand Hospital and Ocean 23's 25-story tower both carry real roofing scope; standard commercial roofing carries a modest regional premium.
Fire Protection
Healthcare-grade suppression across Grand Strand Health's expansion and high-rise suppression for Ocean 23 are both specialized niches.
Paving & Asphalt
South Strand Hospital's greenfield site work and the city's $360.7M infrastructure budget both drive steady heavy-civil demand.
Commercial Landscaping
Standard institutional and resort/hospitality landscaping demand tied to the region's continued tourism growth.
Commercial Flooring
Healthcare-grade seamless resinous flooring for South Strand Hospital is a distinct, higher-skill installation than conventional commercial flooring.
Commercial Painting
Healthcare-grade coatings for Grand Strand Health's expansion and hospitality-grade finishes for Ocean 23 are real niches.
Commercial Cleaning & FM
Healthcare-grade cleaning and facilities management for Grand Strand Health's expanding footprint is a distinct, higher-skill tier from conventional office cleaning.
Welding & Fabrication
High-rise structural welding for Ocean 23 and structural fabrication for South Strand Hospital are both real, if modest, demand drivers.
Commercial Irrigation
A specialist trade most contractors still source through agriculture or generalist staffing - we recruit it directly, not as an afterthought.
Commercial Pest Control
Licensing-driven and referral-heavy - a maintained, license-verified pipeline outperforms reactive posting in this trade specifically.
Commercial Trucking
A licensing-bottlenecked market where CDL credentials and clean records matter more than resume keywords.
Elevator Maintenance
A small, credential-gated labor pool most generalist recruiters can't actually verify.
Insulation
Mechanical insulators and building-envelope installers are two distinct hiring pools most recruiters treat as one.
LED & Solar
One of the fastest-growing trades we track nationally, and one of the least served by specialist recruiters.
Masonry & Concrete
A small, referral-driven labor pool where reputation moves faster than job postings.
Physical Security
Installers and integrators need both electrical and IT skill - a dual-skillset hiring problem most firms get wrong.
The positions we fill in Myrtle Beach, most often.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial trades contractors in Myrtle Beach - from senior leadership down to field roles. The positions we recruit for in this market:
- Medical gas certified plumber - the hardest hire in the region
- Healthcare-construction electrician
- Superintendent with healthcare or high-rise hospitality delivery experience
- Project manager (healthcare, hospitality, commercial GC)
- Senior estimator
- High-rise structural welder / ironworker
- Service manager (HVAC, electrical, plumbing)
For a full list of the 80+ commercial trades positions we recruit for, see the individual industry pages - each lists the 10 most-recruited roles for that trade with current wage ranges.
Frequently asked — commercial trades hiring in Myrtle Beach.
How do you hire commercial trades talent in Myrtle Beach in 2026?
Commercial trades hiring in Myrtle Beach in 2026 is shaped by a concentrated healthcare expansion running alongside continued tourism growth. Grand Strand Health is executing a $350M regional expansion anchored by the $220M South Strand Hospital - a 59-bed greenfield facility with 4 operating rooms built by Brasfield & Gorrie, construction began February 2026, opening Q4 2027 - plus freestanding emergency rooms in Murrells Inlet, Conway, and Little River, a $55.2M ER/OR/lab enhancement at the main Myrtle Beach campus, and a new $30M, 742-space parking garage. Separately, Ocean 23, a 25-story, 227-unit oceanfront timeshare hotel, is moving forward, and the city's $360.7M FY2026 budget includes a new Fire Station #1. Against the BLS national median for the same occupation, field trades here run from −24% for plumbers and pipefitters to −11% for HVAC technicians. South Carolina licenses commercial work over $10,000 through the LLR Contractor's Licensing Board. My Trade Talent screens Myrtle Beach candidates against both the near-parity general market and the healthcare-specific skills premium.
How long does it take to hire a commercial trades professional in Myrtle Beach?
For field roles: typically 4-6 weeks from intake to signed offer. Medical gas plumbers and healthcare-construction electricians run slightly longer, 6-8 weeks, because Grand Strand Health's $350M regional expansion is drawing on a specialized labor pool ahead of South Strand Hospital's Q4 2027 opening.
Are commercial trades wages in Myrtle Beach higher than the national average?
Most conventional trades run close to national parity - a balanced market overall. The exceptions are healthcare-specific: healthcare-construction electricians and medical gas certified plumbers both run above the national rate, tied to Grand Strand Health's expansion.
What's driving commercial trades demand in Myrtle Beach right now?
A concentrated healthcare expansion running alongside continued tourism growth. Grand Strand Health is executing a $350M regional expansion anchored by the $220M South Strand Hospital - a 59-bed greenfield facility with 4 operating rooms, opening Q4 2027 - plus freestanding ERs in Murrells Inlet, Conway, and Little River, and enhancements at the main Myrtle Beach campus. Separately, Ocean 23, a 25-story, 227-unit oceanfront timeshare hotel, is moving forward, and the city's $360.7M FY2026 budget includes a new Fire Station #1.
What licensing applies to commercial trades contractors in Myrtle Beach?
South Carolina licenses commercial work over $10,000 through the LLR Contractor's Licensing Board, across five financial-qualification groups based on project size. Mechanical and electrical work each require separate specialty licenses through the same board.
Hiring commercial trades in Myrtle Beach?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.
