Tipping in South Carolina

Last reviewed October 2026

South Carolina Tipping Laws in 2026: Quick Facts

Federal minimum wage in effect since July 24, 2009

South Carolina Minimum Wage

$7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage; South Carolina has no state minimum wage law)¹

South Carolina Tipped Minimum Wage

$2.13 per hour (federal)¹

Maximum Tip Credit

$5.12 per hour¹

Who Qualifies as a Tipped Employee?

An employee who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 per month in tips²

Are Tip Pools Allowed?

Yes, under federal rules²

Are Mandatory Service Charges Tips?

No²

Can Employers Keep Employee Tips?

No. Tips belong to employees, apart from lawful tip pools.²

Can Credit Card Fees Be Taken From Tips?

Yes, with limits. Employers can deduct only the actual card-processing percentage.²

South Carolina follows federal rules for wages and tips, and its Charleston carriage tours, Myrtle Beach golf courses, and Hilton Head dolphin cruises create tipping situations many visitors may not be familiar with.

Work in South Carolina? Learn about South Carolina's tipping laws, minimum wage, tip pools, and your rights when it comes to tips.

Visiting South Carolina? Explore popular South Carolina experiences where tipping is common and see what customers and workers report about tipping.

What Is South Carolina's Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees?

A tip credit lets an employer count part of an employee's tips toward the minimum wage, so it can pay a lower hourly wage as long as tips make up the difference.

South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so employers covered by federal law must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.¹ Tipped employees can be paid a direct wage of $2.13 per hour, with the employer taking a tip credit of up to $5.12 per hour.¹

If an employee's direct wages plus tips don't reach $7.25 per hour for the workweek, the employer must make up the difference.² Before taking a tip credit, employers must tell employees how much they'll be paid and how the tip credit works.²

Who Owns Tips in South Carolina?

Under federal law, tips belong to the employee. Employers, managers, and supervisors cannot keep any part of employees' tips, whether or not the employer takes a tip credit.² Managers can keep only tips they receive directly for service they personally provide.

Are Tip Pools Allowed in South Carolina?

A tip pool is an arrangement where employees' tips are combined and shared among a group, such as servers, bussers, and bartenders.

Yes. South Carolina follows the federal rules for tip pools:²

With a tip credit: When an employer pays the $2.13 tipped wage, the pool can include only employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, such as servers, bartenders, and bussers.
Without a tip credit: When every employee is paid at least $7.25 per hour in direct wages, the pool can also include back-of-house staff, such as cooks and dishwashers.
Managers and owners are out. Managers, supervisors, and owners cannot take tips from the pool.

Are Service Charges Considered Tips in South Carolina?

No. A mandatory service charge, such as an automatic 18% added to a large party's bill, is not a tip under federal law.²

The difference comes down to customer choice. A tip is voluntary, and the customer decides how much to leave. A mandatory service charge is part of the required price, and the business decides how to distribute it.

Can Employers Take Credit Card Fees Out of Tips?

Yes, but only the actual fee. If a card company charges the employer a percentage on each sale, the employer can reduce a card tip by that same percentage.² It cannot deduct more than the transaction fee.

Tipping While Visiting South Carolina

South Carolina's historic cities, beach resorts, and golf courses create tipping situations many visitors haven't run into before. Charleston's carriage tours, Myrtle Beach's golf courses, and Hilton Head's resorts each come with their own customs.

Whether you're exploring Charleston or spending a week at the beach, here are popular experiences where travelers often have questions about tipping.

Tours and Outdoor Adventures

Carriage and Walking Tours

Horse-drawn carriage tours and evening ghost tours are some of the most popular ways to see Charleston's historic district. Visitors often wonder whether to tip a guide or driver on a ticketed tour.

Do You Tip on a Carriage Tour?
Do You Tip on a Ghost Tour?
Do You Tip a Tour Guide?

Dolphin Cruises and Fishing Charters

Dolphin-watching cruises and fishing charters leave from Hilton Head, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach. Guests often wonder whether the captain and crew expect a tip.

Do You Tip on a Dolphin Cruise?
Do You Tip a Fishing Charter Crew?

Golf and Beaches

Golf Courses

Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, and Kiawah Island are among the country's busiest golf destinations. Caddies, bag-drop attendants, and cart staff can leave visiting golfers unsure who expects a tip.

Do You Tip at a Golf Course?
Do You Tip a Caddie?

Beach Chair Service and Rentals

Many South Carolina beaches have attendants who set up chairs and umbrellas, and much of the coast's lodging is rental condos and houses. Guests often aren't sure whom to tip.

Do You Tip a Beach Chair Attendant?
Do You Tip Vacation Rental Housekeeping?

Entertainment

Shows and Dinner Theaters

Myrtle Beach has live music shows and dinner theaters. Guests at a dinner show often aren't sure whether to tip servers when the meal is included in the ticket price.

Do You Tip at a Dinner Show?

Lodging

Resorts, Inns, and Hotels

From beach resorts to Charleston's historic inns, you may meet several staff members during your stay.

Hotel Housekeeping
Bellhops
Valet Parking
Hotel Concierge

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Bars, and Barbecue

Restaurants and bars are the most familiar places to tip. South Carolina's barbecue joints, seafood shacks, and rooftop bars add situations where you may see a tip prompt at the counter.

Restaurant Tipping
Bartender Tipping
Do You Tip for Counter Service?

What Customers and Workers Report

Tipping customs and expectations don't always match people's real-life behavior.

TippingGuide.com collects feedback from both customers and workers to show the two sides of tipping.

Our Customer and Worker Averages compare what customers report tipping for average service with what workers report expecting to receive.

Explore the categories above to see what customers and workers report for different services and tipping situations.

Information about South Carolina wage and tipping laws is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws, regulations, and minimum wages can change. This information was last reviewed in October 2026.

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