Waiter or waitress pay in Columbia, SC at a glance
Median salary
$17,810$8.56 per hour · $1,484 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in Columbia, SC after taxes
Waiters or waitresses 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.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (SC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $7.25/hr | $1,257 | $15,080 | $13,925 |
| 25th percentile | $7.88/hr | $1,366 | $16,390 | $15,080 |
| MedianMedian | $8.56/hr | $1,484 | $17,810 | $16,221 |
| 75th percentile | $10.60/hr | $1,838 | $22,050 | $19,628 |
| 90th percentile | $20.94/hr | $3,628 | $43,540 | $36,577 |
Is $17,810 a good salary in Columbia, SC?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in South Carolina and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Do waiters or waitresses 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.
Waiter or waitress pay in Columbia, SC: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Columbia, SC?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Columbia, SC metro area was $17,810 in May 2025, about $1,484 a month or $8.56 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $18,370, so the metro pays 3% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Columbia, SC?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Columbia, SC was $8.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.94.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Columbia, SC?
BLS estimated 6,580 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 16.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.14 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Columbia, SC?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Columbia, SC run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $16,390 at the 25th, $22,050 at the 75th, and $43,540 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Columbia, SC?
On a median gross salary of $17,810, an estimated $16,221 lands in net take-home pay per year ($624 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $1,589 (an effective rate of 8.9%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Columbia, SC?
On the median annual salary of $17,810, gross monthly income is $1,484. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,352 per month (or $624 every two weeks).
Is $17,810 a good salary in Columbia, SC?
At $17,810, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 26.1% of the Columbia, SC median household income ($68,359). It is 62% 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.