South Carolina Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 South Carolina Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in South Carolina who are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Department of Labor's table states that South Carolina has no minimum wage law of its own, so the rate on this page reaches the state through federal law rather than through a state statute. With no state law in the entry there is no employer-size condition, no premium pay line and no annual adjustment for the table to record. The table also does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees, or any rate set by a local government.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, records that South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, and that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The entry states no state figure, no dated step and no adjustment formula, and no earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in South Carolina in 2026?
- It is $7.25 per hour, as the federal minimum wage. The U.S. Department of Labor's State Minimum Wage Laws table, updated July 1, 2026, states that South Carolina has no state minimum wage law and that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. That entry is the whole basis for the figure here.
- Does South Carolina have its own state minimum wage law?
- No. The Department of Labor's table places South Carolina among the jurisdictions whose entry reads that there is no state minimum wage law. The amount shown on this page is therefore the federal rate reaching workers in the state through the Fair Labor Standards Act, and not a rate the state itself sets. The entry gives no state figure of any kind.
- Which employers in South Carolina have to pay $7.25 per hour?
- The entry names employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Coverage under that federal statute is decided by federal rules, and the Department of Labor's minimum wage table does not restate them. The entry also attaches no employer-size condition, because South Carolina has no state minimum wage law in which such a condition could sit.
- Does the South Carolina minimum wage change during 2026?
- The Department of Labor's table lists no scheduled change. The South Carolina entry carries no dated step and no annual adjustment formula, which follows from its own first statement that the state has no minimum wage law. A change in the federal rate taking effect after the table's July 1, 2026 update would not appear here until the department republishes the table and this record is verified against it again.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage in South Carolina?
- The Department of Labor's state table publishes no separate cash wage for tipped employees in the South Carolina entry, so this page does not publish one. The same table states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires. The entry itself names only the Fair Labor Standards Act and the federal minimum wage.
- Does South Carolina set an overtime threshold of its own?
- The Department of Labor's table records premium pay after designated hours for jurisdictions whose own laws set such a threshold. The South Carolina entry carries no premium pay line at all, which again follows from the absence of a state minimum wage law. Overtime obligations that attach to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act are not set out in this table.
- Do cities in South Carolina set a higher minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's table does not answer that. It notes that some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage, and that such differential provisions are not displayed in the table. The $7.25 per hour figure on this page is the rate the entry gives for the state, so any local ordinance would sit outside what this source records.
- Where does the $7.25 figure on this page come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the South Carolina entry states that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The division notes on the same page that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers may pay certain categories of workers less than the standard minimum wage. This includes minors, students, and new hires who may qualify for a training wage. States can set their own subminimum rates for these groups or exempt them from coverage entirely. Because these special wage rules vary by state and are not shown on this page, workers and employers should verify whether a lower rate applies in their jurisdiction.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
While this page shows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, cities and counties can set their own minimum wage rates that are higher than the state rate. When a local government does this, workers in that area are entitled to the higher local rate, not just the state or federal rate. These local variations are not displayed in the table on this page, so workers should check their city or county rules to see if a higher minimum wage applies where they work.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under federal law, the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay. This means that when a non-exempt worker earns overtime, each overtime hour must be paid at one and one-half times what they normally earn per hour. The footnote in the source document states this as the standard rule, unless another provision applies. The overtime calculation is based on the employee's regular rate, which can include more than just the base hourly wage. Workers earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour would see their overtime rate rise above that figure accordingly. Some states have additional overtime rules that may provide greater protection to workers.
The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
If you need official information about minimum wage rates in your state, you should consult the relevant state labor office. The Wage and Hour Division, which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor, tries to ensure the information on this page is accurate, but state labor offices have the authoritative details on state-specific wage rules, exemptions, and local rates. Workers who believe their employer is not paying the correct wage can also take their complaint to their state labor office for guidance on filing a wage claim.
The Wage and Hour Division tries to ensure that the information on this page is accurate, but individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
South Carolina has no state minimum wage law. Because the state has not set its own wage floor, the only enforceable minimum hourly rate for covered workers in South Carolina is the federal minimum wage established by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employers in South Carolina that are subject to that federal law must pay at least $7.25 per hour. No higher state-level rate applies, so the federal floor is the binding minimum for workers across the state. South Carolina is among the states that rely entirely on the federal standard rather than setting a separate or higher state rate.
South Carolina No state minimum wage law. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
South Carolina has no minimum wage law of its own, which does not mean there is no minimum wage in South Carolina. The Fair Labor Standards Act reaches most employment directly, and an employer subject to it must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour whatever the state does. That is the rate on this page, and it is federal law rather than South Carolina law that puts it there. The practical difference shows up at the edges. A worker whose employer is genuinely outside the FLSA has no state floor to fall back on, where a worker in a state with its own law would. And a complaint about it is a federal complaint: the Wage and Hour Division enforces it, because there is no South Carolina statute to enforce.
Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
South Carolina No state minimum wage law. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.