Here are some of the biggest job providers in the Columbia/Lexington Area. Living in Lexington, Chapin, and Irmo makes traveling to Columbia for work fairly easily. Just be prepared for a bit of traffic if you travel to work during rush hours.

1. The State of South Carolina: South Carolina employs over 25,000 people in the state.

You can find job openings here: https://careers.sc.gov/

2. Prisma Health: Prisma employs thousands of local residents in the area. They have multiple hospitals, doctors offices, and urgent cares in the area.

You are able to find job openings here: https://careers.prismahealth.org/us/en/

3. Blue Cross Blue Shield: BCBS is the only S.C.-owned + operated health insurance carrier in the state, and has a family of companies and affiliates also offering services to South Carolinians.

You can find job openings here: https://ourhrconnect.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/SCBlues

4. University of South Carolina: This is a large employer of South Carolinians. They employ thousands of locals.

Job Openings: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/search

5. Amazon Warehouse: We have an Amazon Warehouse very closeby. They employ or hire a third party service to employ thousands of locals.

Job Openings: https://hiring.amazon.com/locations/south-carolina-jobs#/

6. AT&T: AT&T is also a big employer in the area. They offer a lot of sales postitions for those with a strong sales background.

Job Openings: https://www.att.jobs/category/sales-jobs/117/29158/1

7. City of Columbia/County of Lexington: These agencies hold over 25 different departments that allow for opportunities for job openings.

City of Columbia Job Openings: https://columbiasc.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home?c=columbiasc

County of Lexington Job Openings: https://www.lex-co.com/Applications/HROnline/PUBLIC/VACANCYLISTING.ASPX

8. Richland County: Today, the county has 400,000+ residents, award-winning museums and hospitals, arts districts and historical markers, and several educational institutions

Job Openings: https://www.richlandcountysc.gov/Home/Careers

9. Michelin: Michelin, the leading tire company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tires and services for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles/motorcycles, earthmovers, farm equipment and trucks.

Job Openings: https://jobs.michelinman.com/en

10. School Systems: Our local schools systems employ hundreds of people every year. I won’t link them all because we have tons of districts in the area. You can easily find the job openings on each school districts website.

Lake Murray Facts:

1. Lake Murray was named after William S. Murray who was an engineer involved in the design of the dam.

2. The dam was created to generate electricity for Lexington Water Power Company (now Dominion Energy)

3.To make room for the lake, nearly a dozen communities had to be abandoned, including Derrick, Pine Ridge, Selwood, Wessinger, Cantsville, Leaphart, Savilla, Boyleston, Lorena, Holly’s Ferry and Lorick’s Ferry.

4. 100 acres were purchased to create the lake.

5. This section of land included three churches, six schools, and 193 graveyards that contained 2,323 graves.

6. Some of the graves were NOT relocated.

7. There is 650 miles of shoreline.

8.Bass tournaments are frequently held on Lake Murray, as are huge flotilla concerts like Reggaetronic and Drift Jam, which draw thousands of people and their boats for a day of music from reggae, rock, and country act.

9. The largest section of the lake is located in Lexington county but also includes Saluda, Newberry, and Richland counties.

10. Remnants of towns abandoned during the reservoir’s construction still stand in the depths of Lake Murray, including a bridge, a graveyard and a stone house.

11.The military conducted B-25 Mitchell plane training exercises near Lake Murray during World War II. In April 1943, one such plane crashed in Lake Murray, and after about seven minutes in the water, the craft began its descent into the lake. It settled at a depth of 150 feet, too deep for the Air Force to recover it.

12.The Wyse Ferry Bridge still exists under the water. Divers discovered names of the construction workers who built the bridge in 1911 written on the concrete.

13.Five towers along the Lake Murray dam use water from the bottom of the lake to control the hydroelectric plant.

14.In 2002, construction began on a backup dam to alleviate pressure from high levels of water – and with more shallow coves, remnants of the old towns, such as grave sites and crosses, were exposed to visitors.

15.Lake Murray was built in the 1920’s – and at the time, was the largest (50,000 acres) man-made lake in the country.