Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Hilton Head Island, SC?

In the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $36,920 a year ($17.75 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 960 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $43,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,720 and $43,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,409 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Hilton Head Island, SC at a glance

Median salary

$36,920$17.75 per hour · $3,077 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,720$11.40/hr
25th percentile$29,740$14.30/hr
75th percentile$38,120$18.33/hr
90th percentile$43,600$20.96/hr
Jobs in this metro960Location quotient 2.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $43,850
Against South Carolina15% aboveStatewide median $32,180
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational median $35,320

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

Food preparation worker salary in Hilton Head Island, SC after taxes

$36,920
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,920
Net 85%
Fed 6%
SC 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,409After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,617Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,208Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,250 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$436 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,824 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Hilton Head Island, SC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$11.40/hr$1,977$23,720$20,970
25th percentile$14.30/hr$2,478$29,740$25,783
MedianMedian$17.75/hr$3,077$36,920$31,409
75th percentile$18.33/hr$3,177$38,120$32,349
90th percentile$20.96/hr$3,633$43,600$36,624

Is $36,920 a good salary in Hilton Head Island, SC?

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

Median household income$83,304Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.02% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.3%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Hilton Head Island, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area was $36,920 in May 2025, about $3,077 a month or $17.75 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $32,180, so the metro pays 15% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC was $17.75 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.40 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.96.

How many food preparation workers work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS estimated 960 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 11.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC run from $23,720 at the 10th percentile to $29,740 at the 25th, $38,120 at the 75th, and $43,600 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On a median gross salary of $36,920, an estimated $31,409 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,208 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,511 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On the median annual salary of $36,920, gross monthly income is $3,077. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,617 per month (or $1,208 every two weeks).

Is $36,920 a good salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

At $36,920, the median salary for food preparation workers is 44.3% of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC median household income ($83,304). It is 16% below the $43,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.0, so prices here run 2% below the U.S. average.