Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Greenville-Anderson, SC?

In the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,680 a year ($17.16 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,360 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $46,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,220 and $44,860; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,437 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Greenville-Anderson, SC at a glance

Median salary

$35,680$17.16 per hour · $2,973 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,220$11.65/hr
25th percentile$30,790$14.80/hr
75th percentile$37,870$18.21/hr
90th percentile$44,860$21.57/hr
Jobs in this metro4,360Location quotient 1.11 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $46,580
Against South Carolinaabout the same asStatewide median $35,740
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $37,390

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

Restaurant cook salary in Greenville-Anderson, SC after taxes

$35,680
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,680
Net 85%
Fed 6%
SC 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,437After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,536Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,171Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,102 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$412 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,730 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Greenville-Anderson, SC, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$11.65/hr$2,018$24,220$21,372
25th percentile$14.80/hr$2,566$30,790$26,606
MedianMedian$17.16/hr$2,973$35,680$30,437
75th percentile$18.21/hr$3,156$37,870$32,153
90th percentile$21.57/hr$3,738$44,860$37,567

Is $35,680 a good salary in Greenville-Anderson, SC?

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

Median household income$71,240Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.36.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.1%of area median income

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

Do restaurant cooks 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 →

Restaurant cook pay in Greenville-Anderson, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metro area was $35,680 in May 2025, about $2,973 a month or $17.16 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $35,740, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC was $17.16 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.57.

How many restaurant cooks work in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

BLS estimated 4,360 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.11 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC run from $24,220 at the 10th percentile to $30,790 at the 25th, $37,870 at the 75th, and $44,860 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

On a median gross salary of $35,680, an estimated $30,437 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,171 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,243 (an effective rate of 14.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

On the median annual salary of $35,680, gross monthly income is $2,973. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,536 per month (or $1,171 every two weeks).

Is $35,680 a good salary in Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC?

At $35,680, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50.1% of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC median household income ($71,240). It is 23% below the $46,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.