Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In South Carolina, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $27,000 at the median, or about $12.98 an hour. The range runs from $18K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.17), which stretches that salary to about $28,979 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,263/month, about 66.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $27K get you in South Carolina?
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What this looks like in South Carolina
Pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in South Carolina runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,263/month, which is 64.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Carolina
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $18K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by metro in South Carolina
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $29K | +9% | 550 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $29K | +8% | 1,860 |
| Spartanburg | $27K | +1% | 330 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $26K | -3% | 1,460 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $26K | -3% | 1,350 |
| Sumter | $23K | -14% | 80 |
| Columbia | $23K | -15% | 850 |
| Florence | $23K | -15% | 250 |
Compare to other states
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 64.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,263/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in South Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $18K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,064/month. At HUD’s $1,263/month FMR, rent would take 119% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in South Carolina?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Carolina compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
South Carolina pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in South Carolina?
The median is $27,000 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,740, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $37,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in South Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,955/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,263/month, which eats 64.6% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary go in South Carolina?
South Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 93.17 (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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $28,979 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops 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.