Charleston cannot set a local minimum wage. SC §6-1-130, enacted in 2002, blocks all South Carolina cities and counties from establishing a wage floor above the federal $7.25 baseline.
South Carolina §6-1-130, the state's local-mandate preemption statute enacted in 2002, prohibits any county or municipality from establishing a minimum wage above the federal level set by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has remained unchanged since 2009. Charleston has no local minimum wage and cannot enact one. Tipped workers receive $2.13 federal cash wage plus tips. The City may set its own employee pay scale as employer but cannot bind private businesses. Living-wage advocacy continues without legal effect.
No local penalty applies because Charleston cannot enact a wage floor; FLSA violations by employers are enforced by the federal Wage and Hour Division.
Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC
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See how Charleston's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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