First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in Columbia, SC make a median of $37,880 a year, or about $18.21 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $40,444 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 49.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in Columbia runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 48.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $44K | $43K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $39K | $42K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $39K | $42K |
| Spartanburg | $37K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59K | +35% | 20,700 |
| District of Columbia | $57K | +30% | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +20% | 10,770 |
| Colorado | $51K | +15% | 25,510 |
| Vermont | $50K | +13% | 1,970 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +13% | 3,840 |
| Hawaii | $49K | +11% | 7,330 |
| New Jersey | $48K | +10% | 27,750 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +10% | 3,320 |
| Delaware | $48K | +9% | 4,030 |
| Maine | $48K | +9% | 3,740 |
| New York | $47K | +7% | 65,580 |
| California | $47K | +7% | 130,190 |
| Oregon | $47K | +7% | 16,880 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +6% | 23,220 |
| Alaska | $47K | +6% | 2,390 |
| Virginia | $46K | +3% | 30,640 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +3% | 20,760 |
| North Carolina | $45K | +2% | 39,750 |
| Indiana | $45K | +2% | 23,500 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +1% | 2,780 |
| Florida | $44K | +1% | 91,500 |
| Nevada | $44K | -0% | 14,230 |
| Montana | $44K | -0% | 4,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | -2% | 35,560 |
| Maryland | $42K | -4% | 20,150 |
| South Dakota | $41K | -8% | 2,920 |
| Arizona | $41K | -8% | 21,450 |
| Tennessee | $41K | -8% | 29,100 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | -10% | 21,240 |
| Illinois | $39K | -10% | 41,030 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -11% | 6,540 |
| Nebraska | $39K | -11% | 7,840 |
| Iowa | $39K | -12% | 11,400 |
| Utah | $39K | -12% | 13,670 |
| Georgia | $39K | -12% | 48,420 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -13% | 20,120 |
| Kansas | $38K | -13% | 10,520 |
| Idaho | $38K | -13% | 7,440 |
| Michigan | $38K | -14% | 32,890 |
| Missouri | $37K | -15% | 21,650 |
| Ohio | $37K | -15% | 51,990 |
| Alabama | $37K | -16% | 19,180 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -16% | 2,680 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -17% | 10,480 |
| Texas | $36K | -17% | 137,930 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -19% | 18,010 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -19% | 16,680 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -20% | 18,900 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -23% | 11,200 |
| West Virginia | $33K | -25% | 6,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 48.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,679/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $38K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
Columbia pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $37,880 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,990, and experienced first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers can clear $58,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,640/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 48.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary go in Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary is worth about $40,444 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.