Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Columbia, SC
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Columbia, SC is $35,490. BLS estimates approximately 3,520 people work in this occupation in Columbia, SC. Columbia, SC is 5.1% below the national median ($37,390).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $26,870 | $12.92 |
| 25th percentile | $30,470 | $14.65 |
| Median (50th) | $35,490 | $17.06 |
| 75th percentile | $38,320 | $18.42 |
| 90th percentile | $43,220 | $20.78 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 2.1% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 6.2% — Reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.941
- Location quotient
- 0.99
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Columbia, SC’s regional price level is below the national average (index 93.662, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $37,892 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.