Waiters and Waitresses pay in South Carolina

$25,900avg. a year
$12.45 an hour · 47,200 employed

Waiters and Waitresses in South Carolina earn an average of $25,900 a year. That is $14,160 (35%) less than the U.S. average of $40,060. The best-paying metro area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at $40,850.

$18,370Median pay
$12.45Average hourly
+27%Avg. pay since 2020
#48Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying South Carolina metro areas

Average pay for waiters and waitresses by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.

119,990 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$40,850
$19.64 an hour
29,580 jobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$28,460
$13.68 an hour
33,390 jobs
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
$28,270
$13.59 an hour
49,090 jobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC
$26,850
$12.91 an hour
53,820 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$26,090
$12.54 an hour
6490 jobs
Sumter, SC
$25,780
$12.40 an hour
76,390 jobs
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
$24,780
$11.91 an hour
82,140 jobs
Spartanburg, SC
$24,780
$11.91 an hour
91,250 jobs
Florence, SC
$24,150
$11.61 an hour
106,580 jobs
Columbia, SC
$23,610
$11.35 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.
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Waiters and Waitresses pay in South Carolina, charted

Pay over time

South Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where South Carolina waiters and waitresses work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · South Carolina highlighted · tap a state
Under $31k$31k–$38k$38k–$45k$45k+South Carolina

South Carolina vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$40,060$19.26
South Carolina$25,900$12.45
North Carolina$37,850$18.20
Georgia$26,610$12.80

Average pay, South Carolina, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do waiters and waitresses make in South Carolina?

The average is $25,900 a year, and the median is $18,370. That is $14,160 (35%) less than the U.S. average of $40,060.

What is the hourly wage in South Carolina?

$12.45 an hour on average; the median is $8.83.

Where in South Carolina do they earn the most?

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($40,850), followed by Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($28,460). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Columbia, SC ($23,610).

How does South Carolina rank?

South Carolina ranks #48 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 35-3031. 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 waiters and waitresses 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.