Chefs and Head Cooks pay in South Carolina
$70,780avg. a year
$34.03 an hour · 2,650 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in South Carolina earn an average of $70,780 a year. That is $4,080 (6%) more than the U.S. average of $66,700. The best-paying metro area is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC at $77,860.
$71,860Median pay
$34.03Average hourly
+51%Avg. pay since 2020
#9Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying South Carolina metro areas
Average pay for chefs and head cooks by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.
1240 jobs
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
$77,860
$37.43 an hour
2770 jobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$71,800
$34.52 an hour
3140 jobs
Spartanburg, SC
$69,560
$33.44 an hour
4280 jobs
Columbia, SC
$68,700
$33.03 an hour
51,480 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$68,430
$32.90 an hour
6250 jobs
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
$68,430
$32.90 an hour
7360 jobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC
$67,530
$32.47 an hour
8230 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$67,300
$32.36 an hour
970 jobs
Florence, SC
$63,860
$30.70 an hour
1030 jobs
Sumter, SC
$62,490
$30.04 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay in South Carolina, charted
Pay over time
South Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where South Carolina chefs and head cooks work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · South Carolina highlighted · tap a state
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Under $60k$60k–$66k$66k–$70k$70k+South Carolina
South Carolina vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $66,700 | $32.07 |
| South Carolina | $70,780 | $34.03 |
| Georgia | $70,450 | $33.87 |
| North Carolina | $63,960 | $30.75 |
Related jobs in South Carolina
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$43,030
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,840
- Waiters and Waitresses$25,900
- Cooks, Restaurant$35,610
- Food Preparation Workers$32,300
- Bartenders$28,440
Average pay, South Carolina, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in South Carolina?
The average is $70,780 a year, and the median is $71,860. That is $4,080 (6%) more than the U.S. average of $66,700.
What is the hourly wage in South Carolina?
$34.03 an hour on average; the median is $34.55.
Where in South Carolina do they earn the most?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC ($77,860), followed by Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($71,800). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Sumter, SC ($62,490).
How does South Carolina rank?
South Carolina ranks #9 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national chefs and head cooks page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.