SOC 35-3031 · Sumter, SC metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Sumter, SC

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Sumter, South Carolina is $25,780 a year ($12.40 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $17,440: half of the 490 people in this job in the Sumter, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 36% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$25,780average per year

$12.40 / hourMedian $17,440Take-home ≈ $22,625

  • $15K10th
  • $17K25th
  • $17KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $51K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

490people in this job
-36%vs U.S. average
#4 of 8South Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Sumter

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $51,030 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Sumter earn between $16,540 and $29,120.

  • $15K10th
  • $17K25th
  • $17KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $51K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$25,780$2,148$12.39
Median$17,440$1,453$8.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$16,540$1,378$7.95
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,120$2,427$14.00

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Sumter vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Sumter earn about the same as the South Carolina average ($25,900) and 36% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -50% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Sumter$25,780$17,440$15,080$51,030490
South Carolina$25,900$18,370$15,080$46,82047,200
United States$40,060$35,230$18,100$64,7202,270,910

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Sumter

On the average salary of $25,780, a single filer in Sumter takes home about $22,625 a year, or $1,885 a month and $870 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

South Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Sumter a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Sumter area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.0), so the average $25,780 buys what about $29,289 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Sumter ($42,890). A typical home costs $210,445, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $25,780 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other South Carolina cities

Sumter ranks 4th of 8 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Charleston pays the most ($28,460).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).

Waiters and Waitresses salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Waiters and Waitresses in Sumter, SC.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Sumter: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Sumter?

$12.40 an hour on average, and $8.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Sumter?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $16,540, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Sumter?

About $22,625 a year ($1,885 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $25,780.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Sumter than elsewhere?

The average here is 36% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3031; area Sumter, SC (44940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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