South Carolina Tipped Minimum Wage 2026
Figure basis: Official US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour DivisionSouth Carolina lets employers pay tipped workers a cash wage of $2.13 an hour and take a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as tips bring total pay to at least the $7.25 minimum wage. This South Carolina tipped minimum wage calculator shows what that means in practice. Enter your average tips per hour and your weekly hours, and it works out whether your tips clear the tip credit, whether your employer owes you a top-up to reach the $7.25 minimum, and your effective hourly, weekly and yearly pay. A tip credit lets an employer pay a lower direct cash wage and count part of your tips toward the regular minimum wage, but it can never leave you below the minimum: if tips fall short in a given week, the law requires the employer to make up the difference. The cash wage, tip credit and minimum wage used here are the 2026 figures for South Carolina, sourced from the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Tips you earn above the minimum are always yours to keep.
South Carolina tipped workers get a cash wage of $2.13/hr, with up to a $5.12 tip credit toward the $7.25 minimum wage.
How the South Carolina tipped wage and tip credit work
cash wage = $2.13/hr (paid by employer)
total before top-up = cash wage + your tips per hour
if total < $7.25: employer tops up to $7.25
effective pay = greater of (cash + tips) and $7.25
These are gross figures before tax. Tips are taxable income and must be reported. For your after-tax pay, see the South Carolina paycheck calculator, and for the regular rate the South Carolina minimum wage calculator.
No state tipped law: the federal $2.13 rule fills in
South Carolina has no minimum wage law of its own and no state tipped-wage rule, so federal law fills the gap. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer here can pay a tipped worker a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour and claim up to a $5.12 tip credit, provided tips carry your total to the $7.25 federal minimum. Add $2.13 and $5.12 and you land on $7.25, which is the figure that actually protects you.
State law also blocks any South Carolina city or county from setting a higher local minimum, so the same $2.13 cash wage and $7.25 floor apply everywhere from Charleston to the Upstate. There is no local ordinance that can lift the number, which is different from states where a city minimum overrides the tipped rate.
To confirm you were made whole, average across the workweek rather than by shift: add up all your tips, divide by hours worked, and add the $2.13 cash wage. If that weekly average is under $7.25 an hour, your employer owes you the difference. Because the federal figures have not changed since 2009, keep your own tip and hours log, and be aware that many South Carolina employers pay above $2.13 to attract staff. Compare your written offer against what the local market actually pays, not just the $2.13 legal minimum, since the going rate for tipped roles is often well above the federal floor.
South Carolina tipped minimum wage: frequently asked questions
What is the tipped minimum wage in South Carolina in 2026?
In South Carolina, the minimum cash wage for tipped employees is $2.13 an hour in 2026. Employers may count up to $5.12 an hour of tips (the "tip credit") toward the $7.25 minimum wage. If an employee's cash wage plus tips does not average at least $7.25 an hour, the employer must pay the difference.
Does South Carolina allow a tip credit?
Yes. South Carolina allows employers to take a tip credit of up to $5.12 an hour, meaning the direct cash wage can be as low as $2.13 an hour provided tips make up the rest to $7.25. The federal tip-credit floor is a $2.13 cash wage.
What happens if my tips do not reach minimum wage in South Carolina?
Your employer must make up the shortfall. In any week where your cash wage of $2.13 plus your tips does not average at least $7.25 an hour, South Carolina and federal law require the employer to top your pay up to $7.25. You should never earn less than the full minimum wage once tips are counted.
How much does a tipped worker make in South Carolina?
It depends on tips, but here is a worked example: a server working 30 hours a week and averaging $12.00 an hour in tips. Cash wage $2.13 plus $12.00 tips is $14.13 an hour, which is above the $7.25 minimum, so the effective rate is $14.13 an hour, about $423.90 a week or $22,042.80 a year before tax. Use the calculator with your own tips and hours.
Is the tip credit the same as the tipped wage?
No, they are two sides of the same figure. The "tipped minimum wage" (or tipped cash wage) is what the employer pays directly: $2.13 in South Carolina. The "tip credit" is how much of your tips the employer is allowed to count toward the regular minimum wage: $5.12 in South Carolina. Cash wage plus tip credit equals the $7.25 minimum wage.
Official sources
- South Carolina 2026 tipped and minimum wage figures: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as at July 11, 2026.
- Federal tip credit and the $2.13 cash-wage floor: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 11 July 2026. See our methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice. The federal FLSA tip credit applies: $2.13 cash plus tips to reach $7.25.