One workweek at a time — the minimum wage is checked week by week, not averaged over a month
Enter the higher of the federal and your state or city rate — this tool doesn't look it up
The sales your commission is a percentage of
0 if you're paid by commission only
0 if your employer pays the full minimum wage in cash
What is a tip credit?
Federal guidance lets an employer pass on no more than the fee the card company actually charged — some states don't allow it at all
Owed to reach the minimum wage
$0
Estimate for reference only, not verified proof — check the sources below, and their access date, before relying on this for a claim or filing.
- Commission earned
- $0
- Employer pay (base + commission)
- $0
- Minimum-wage floor for the week
- $0
- Pay per hour, before tips
- —
- Tips you keep after card fees
- $0
This is a federal minimum-wage check for an employee, using the rate you entered. It does not decide overtime, whether you're an employee or a contractor, or what your state requires — some states regulate how commission pay is structured, not just how much.
South Carolina tipped minimum wage 2026
What servers, bartenders and salon, barber and spa workers in South Carolina must be paid per hour, how much of it tips can cover, and a calculator for this week's pay.
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal rules apply. In South Carolina the minimum wage for 2026 is $7.25 an hour, and an employer can pay a tipped employee a cash wage as low as $2.13, counting up to $5.12 an hour of tips toward the rest — the tip credit. If tips don't make up the difference in a workweek, the employer must pay it.
Reviewed by RuleCost Editorial Team. Rules for 2026, updated 30 Sept 2026.
How to use it
- 1The calculator starts with South Carolina's $7.25 minimum wage and a $5.12 tip credit. Change them if your city or employer size has a different rate.
- 2Enter the hours you worked in one workweek — the minimum wage is checked a week at a time.
- 3Enter your commission, base pay and tips. The result is what your employer still owes to reach the minimum wage that week.
South Carolina tipped wage at a glance
| Minimum wage | $7.25 / hour |
|---|---|
| Lowest cash wage for tipped employees | $2.13 / hour |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 / hour |
| Tipped employee test | More than $30 a month in tips |
| Federal comparison | $7.25 minimum, $2.13 tipped |
South Carolina's tipped cash wage ranks 36 of 51 (the 50 states and DC, highest first). Compare every state.
What changes in 2027
No 2027 change to South Carolina's minimum wage or tipped wage had been announced when we checked on October 13, 2026.
A 30-hour week in South Carolina
The minimum-wage floor for the week is 30 × $7.25 = $217.50. The employer can pay as little as 30 × $2.13 = $63.90 in cash, counting up to $153.60 of your tips toward the rest.
| Tips | Cash wage | Tips counted | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| $253.60 | $63.90 | $153.60 | $0.00 |
| $76.80 | $63.90 | $76.80 | $76.80 |
Not paid the minimum wage?
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so minimum wage and tip credit complaints go to the federal Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 (1-866-4-USWAGE); it's free, confidential and does not depend on your immigration status. The state's labor office, the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, handles other employment matters. Keep a record of your hours, cash wage and tips for each workweek.
Tips and taxes
Tips you keep are still yours even when the employer takes a tip credit — employers, managers and supervisors can't keep any of them. From 2025 through 2028, qualified tips can also be deducted from federal income tax; see the no tax on tips calculator.
Questions
- What is the tipped minimum wage in South Carolina in 2026?
- $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as the employee's tips bring the total to at least the $7.25 minimum wage for every hour worked in the week.
- Who counts as a tipped employee in South Carolina?
- Someone who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. An employer can only take the tip credit for employees who meet that test, and only after telling them it's being used.
- What happens if my tips don’t reach the minimum wage?
- The employer makes up the difference for that workweek. For 30 hours the floor is $217.50; if the $63.90 cash wage plus your tips comes to less, the gap is owed on top.
- Does the South Carolina minimum wage apply to commission pay at a salon, barbershop or spa?
- Yes, for employees. Commission counts as pay, but each workweek the total still has to reach $7.25 for every hour worked, and a good week can't make up for a bad one. Booth renters and true independent contractors aren't covered this way.
- What will the minimum wage be in South Carolina in 2027?
- No 2027 change to South Carolina's minimum wage or tipped wage had been announced when we checked on October 13, 2026.