Cooks, Restaurant Salary in South Carolina
Cooks, Restaurant in South Carolina have a median of $35,740 a year, below the national $37,390 (−4%); the state ranks 37th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in South Carolina ($46,490). Among neighbouring states, Georgia pays more (up to $35,940 in Georgia) and North Carolina pays less (down to $35,400 in North Carolina). South Carolina employs 25,890 cooks, restaurant, 11.2 per 1,000 jobs, the 22nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.24 means the occupation is more concentrated in South Carolina than nationally.
South Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $12.59 | $14.65 | $17.18 | $18.54 | $21.96 | $17.12 | 25,890 | 11.23 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $26,200 | $30,470 | $35,740 | $38,560 | $45,680 | $35,610 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 37th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 22nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.24
- Jobs per 1,000
- 11.23
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of South Carolina's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in South Carolina
10 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching South Carolina publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $17.80 | $37,030 | $29,210 | $45,980 | 14,430 | 10.63 | 1.17 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $17.70 | $36,820 | $27,960 | $46,740 | 1,730 | 21.16 | 2.33 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $17.65 | $36,710 | $26,580 | $46,630 | 6,040 | 15.33 | 1.69 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $17.16 | $35,680 | $24,220 | $44,860 | 4,360 | 10.04 | 1.11 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $17.07 | $35,500 | $24,220 | $43,950 | 1,180 | 7.17 | 0.79 |
| Columbia, SC | $17.06 | $35,490 | $26,870 | $43,220 | 3,520 | 8.94 | 0.99 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $16.92 | $35,190 | $27,910 | $42,530 | 3,420 | 23.36 | 2.58 |
| Florence, SC | $16.61 | $34,550 | $22,200 | $42,810 | 730 | 8.24 | 0.91 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $16.34 | $33,990 | $24,120 | $40,720 | 2,200 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| Sumter, SC | $15.08 | $31,370 | $24,300 | $38,670 | 290 | 8.46 | 0.93 |
| Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $16.77 | $34,880 | $22,810 | $44,060 | 940 | 12.23 | 1.35 |
| Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $15.59 | $32,430 | $22,660 | $42,750 | 800 | 8.54 | 0.94 |
| Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $15.14 | $31,490 | $23,060 | $41,850 | 460 | 8.79 | 0.97 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $17.18 | $35,740 | 25,890 | 1.24 |
| Georgia | $17.28 | $35,940 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| North Carolina | $17.02 | $35,400 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the South Carolina wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS South Carolina estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.