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

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Hilton Head Island, SC?

In the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $19,830 a year ($9.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,390 of these jobs there. That is 55% below the $43,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,870 and $50,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $17,844 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Hilton Head Island, SC at a glance

Median salary

$19,830$9.53 per hour · $1,653 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,870$7.63/hr
25th percentile$18,140$8.72/hr
75th percentile$33,130$15.93/hr
90th percentile$50,010$24.04/hr
Jobs in this metro3,390Location quotient 2.84 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here55% belowAll-jobs median $43,850
Against South Carolina8% aboveStatewide median $18,370
Against the U.S.44% belowNational median $35,230

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

Waiter or waitress salary in Hilton Head Island, SC after taxes

$19,830
$15,000$40,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$19,830
Net 90%
Fed 2%
SC 0%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$17,844After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,487Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$686Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate10%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$373 / yr
South Carolina state income tax$96 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,517 / yr

Waiters or waitresses 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 waiters or waitresses earned in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SC)
10th percentile$7.63/hr$1,323$15,870$14,639
25th percentile$8.72/hr$1,512$18,140$16,486
MedianMedian$9.53/hr$1,653$19,830$17,844
75th percentile$15.93/hr$2,761$33,130$28,439
90th percentile$24.04/hr$4,168$50,010$41,363

Is $19,830 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 waiters or waitresses 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 household23.8%of area median income

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.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Waiter or waitress pay in Hilton Head Island, SC: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area was $19,830 in May 2025, about $1,653 a month or $9.53 an hour. Statewide, the South Carolina median for this job is $18,370, so the metro pays 8% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC was $9.53 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.63 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.04.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS estimated 3,390 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 41.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.84 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC run from $15,870 at the 10th percentile to $18,140 at the 25th, $33,130 at the 75th, and $50,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On a median gross salary of $19,830, an estimated $17,844 lands in net take-home pay per year ($686 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $1,986 (an effective rate of 10%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

On the median annual salary of $19,830, gross monthly income is $1,653. After federal, FICA, and South Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,487 per month (or $686 every two weeks).

Is $19,830 a good salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?

At $19,830, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 23.8% of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC median household income ($83,304). It is 55% 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.