Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Columbia, SC, waiters and waitresses earn $17,810 at the median, or about $8.56 an hour. The range runs from $15K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $19,016 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 101.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $18K 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 waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for waiters and waitresses in Columbia runs about 49% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 94.7% 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 waiters and waitressess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $19K | $19K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $20K | $21K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $17K | $19K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $20K | $20K |
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 waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $15K. Mid-career wages sit at $18K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Waiters and Waitresses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62K | +77% | 14,090 |
| Vermont | $59K | +68% | 4,040 |
| Washington | $56K | +59% | 45,400 |
| Oregon | $48K | +37% | 23,040 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | +36% | 11,530 |
| New York | $47K | +33% | 142,940 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +28% | 55,800 |
| Colorado | $45K | +27% | 40,680 |
| Virginia | $45K | +27% | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $44K | +25% | 55,950 |
| Maine | $43K | +23% | 9,090 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +9% | 54,670 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +9% | 10,030 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +7% | 22,370 |
| Michigan | $38K | +7% | 65,090 |
| New Mexico | $37K | +5% | 12,740 |
| Delaware | $37K | +5% | 7,580 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 38,120 |
| Ohio | $37K | +4% | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36K | +3% | 207,180 |
| Kansas | $36K | +3% | 19,480 |
| California | $36K | +2% | 229,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +1% | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $35K | +0% | 8,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -2% | 82,300 |
| Nebraska | $34K | -4% | 13,310 |
| North Carolina | $32K | -9% | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31K | -11% | 72,900 |
| Utah | $31K | -12% | 17,790 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -12% | 5,250 |
| Idaho | $30K | -15% | 10,950 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | -16% | 36,220 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -16% | 27,150 |
| Missouri | $29K | -17% | 41,640 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -18% | 7,350 |
| Indiana | $28K | -19% | 43,620 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -21% | 52,120 |
| Alabama | $27K | -24% | 28,760 |
| Nevada | $26K | -25% | 42,520 |
| Alaska | $26K | -25% | 3,830 |
| Minnesota | $25K | -28% | 37,630 |
| Arkansas | $25K | -30% | 17,880 |
| Wyoming | $24K | -32% | 3,620 |
| Montana | $23K | -34% | 7,200 |
| Texas | $23K | -34% | 199,610 |
| Mississippi | $21K | -39% | 15,190 |
| Iowa | $21K | -40% | 22,410 |
| Georgia | $19K | -47% | 76,470 |
| South Carolina | $18K | -48% | 47,200 |
| Oklahoma | $18K | -49% | 27,000 |
| Louisiana | $15K | -57% | 33,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track waiters and waitresses salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $18K, rent takes 94.7% 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 $400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for waiters and waitresses in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $15K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $905/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 141% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is waiters and waitress a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 49% below the national median — $18K here vs. $35K 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 waiters and waitresses?
Columbia pays $18K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -49%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $19K — below the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $17,810 a year, that works out to about $9 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $15,080, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $43,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $18K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,347/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 94.7% 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 waiters and waitresses 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 waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $19,016 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do waiters and waitresses 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.