Minimum Wage: Nine Facts about South Carolina's Minimum Wage

The minimum wage is a wage rate set by local, state or federal authorities as the least amount a business is allowed to pay an employee. The wage differs from state to state, and even across areas within a state. Discussion surrounds the concept of a minimum wage, whether it is good for the economy or if it should be set higher than it currently stands.

Here are nine facts on South Carolina’s minimum wage.

1. The current minimum wage in the state is $7.25 per hour. This is the federal rate, as the South Carolina is among five states that did not set an official one for 2015, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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2. The minimum wage for employees who also earn tips, such as waiting staff, is $2.13 per hour, according to MinimumWage.com.

3. Employers in South Carolina must display, in a prominent place, a poster outlining current federal minimum wage law and relevant state labor legislation. Failure to do so can result in heavy fines for the business.

4. South Carolina is among a list of 19 states that either have the federal minimum wage as official policy, or adopted it by default when deciding not to legislate for one, according to The State.

5. The states that haven’t set an official minimum wage along with South Carolina, are its southern neighbors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

6. At minimum wage, a full-time employee in South Carolina, working an eight-hour day and a 40 hour week, would earn $290 for the five days or $15,080 per year, before taxes.

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7. If an employee in South Carolina works more than the 40-hour week, they are entitled to one-and-a-half times the hourly rate set by the employer. For an earner making minimum wage, this sets a rate of $10.88 per hour for overtime work.

8. When a business fails to pay the minimum federal wage or any overtime compensation, an employee can apply to the South Carolina Department of Labor to advocate on their behalf.

9. Many new jobs being created in the South Carolina economy are entry-level, minimum wage jobs in the service industry.

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