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

How much does a restaurant cook make in Hilton Head Island, SC?

In the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,820 a year ($17.70 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,730 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $43,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,960 and $46,740; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,331 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Hilton Head Island, SC at a glance

Median salary

$36,820$17.70 per hour · $3,068 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,960$13.44/hr
25th percentile$34,480$16.58/hr
75th percentile$43,690$21.01/hr
90th percentile$46,740$22.47/hr
Jobs in this metro1,730Location quotient 2.33 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $43,850
Against South Carolina3% aboveStatewide median $35,740
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $37,390

Run the numbers on your own pay

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

Restaurant cook salary in Hilton Head Island, SC after taxes

$36,820
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,820
Net 85%
Fed 6%
SC 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,331After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,611Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,205Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,238 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$434 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,817 / yr

Restaurant cooks 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 restaurant cooks earned in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$13.44/hr$2,330$27,960$24,377
25th percentile$16.58/hr$2,873$34,480$29,497
MedianMedian$17.70/hr$3,068$36,820$31,331
75th percentile$21.01/hr$3,641$43,690$36,694
90th percentile$22.47/hr$3,895$46,740$38,953

Is $36,820 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 restaurant cooks 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 household44.2%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 Hilton Head Island, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area was $36,820 in May 2025, about $3,068 a month or $17.70 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $35,740, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC was $17.70 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.44 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.47.

How many restaurant cooks work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS estimated 1,730 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 21.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.33 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC run from $27,960 at the 10th percentile to $34,480 at the 25th, $43,690 at the 75th, and $46,740 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On a median gross salary of $36,820, an estimated $31,331 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,205 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,489 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On the median annual salary of $36,820, gross monthly income is $3,068. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,611 per month (or $1,205 every two weeks).

Is $36,820 a good salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

At $36,820, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.2% 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.