Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In South Carolina, waiters and waitresses earn $18,370 at the median, or about $8.83 an hour. The range runs from $15K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.17), which stretches that salary to about $19,717 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,263/month, about 97.2% 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 $18K get you in South Carolina?
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in South Carolina
Pay for waiters and waitresses in South Carolina runs about 48% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,263/month, which is 91.2% 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 waiters and waitressess.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Carolina
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $15K. Mid-career wages sit at $18K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro in South Carolina
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $20K | +9% | 9,090 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $20K | +8% | 3,390 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $19K | +5% | 9,580 |
| Spartanburg | $18K | +0% | 2,140 |
| Columbia | $18K | -3% | 6,580 |
| Florence | $17K | -5% | 1,250 |
| Sumter | $17K | -5% | 490 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $17K | -6% | 6,390 |
Compare to other states
Track waiters and waitresses 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 waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $18K, rent takes 91.2% 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 $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 South Carolina?
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 $1,263/month FMR, rent would take 140% 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 South Carolina?
Local pay runs 48% below the national median — $18K here vs. $35K 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 waiters and waitresses?
South Carolina pays $18K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -48%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $20K — below the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in South Carolina?
The median is $18,370 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 $46,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $18K enough to live in South Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,385/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,263/month, which eats 91.2% 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 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 waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $19,717 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.