Columbia, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Columbia, SC?

In the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $19,230 a year ($9.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,070 of these jobs there. That is 59% below the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,120 and $72,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $17,362 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Columbia, SC at a glance

Median salary

$19,230$9.25 per hour · $1,603 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,120$7.27/hr
25th percentile$17,420$8.38/hr
75th percentile$35,050$16.85/hr
90th percentile$72,800$35.00/hr
Jobs in this metro1,070Location quotient 0.56 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here59% belowAll-jobs median $46,430
Against South Carolina1% belowStatewide median $19,370
Against the U.S.44% belowNational median $34,340

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Columbia, SC after taxes

$19,230
$15,000$40,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$19,230
Net 90%
Fed 2%
SC 0%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$17,362After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,447Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$668Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate9.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$313 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$84 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,471 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Columbia, SC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Columbia, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$7.27/hr$1,260$15,120$13,961
25th percentile$8.38/hr$1,452$17,420$15,907
MedianMedian$9.25/hr$1,603$19,230$17,362
75th percentile$16.85/hr$2,921$35,050$29,944
90th percentile$35.00/hr$6,067$72,800$57,534

Is $19,230 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.

Median household income$68,359Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.76.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household28.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do bartenders pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Bartender pay in Columbia, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Columbia, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Columbia, SC metro area was $19,230 in May 2025, about $1,603 a month or $9.25 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $19,370, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Columbia, SC?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Columbia, SC was $9.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.00.

How many bartenders work in Columbia, SC?

BLS estimated 1,070 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 2.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.56 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Columbia, SC?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Columbia, SC run from $15,120 at the 10th percentile to $17,420 at the 25th, $35,050 at the 75th, and $72,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Columbia, SC?

On a median gross salary of $19,230, an estimated $17,362 lands in net take-home pay per year ($668 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $1,868 (an effective rate of 9.7%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Columbia, SC?

On the median annual salary of $19,230, gross monthly income is $1,603. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,447 per month (or $668 every two weeks).

Is $19,230 a good salary in Columbia, SC?

At $19,230, the median salary for bartenders is 28.1% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 59% below the $46,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.7, so prices here run 6.3% below the U.S. average.