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Minimum Wage in South Carolina



A brief guide to minimum wage in South Carolina

The law provides many protections for workers. One such guarantee concerns minimum wages in South Carolina. While some states have set their own minimum hourly rates which workers must be paid, this is not one of them. Instead, minimum wage in South Carolina follows federal guidelines as established by the federal government. This rate has been set at $7.25 an hour.

Minimum wages in South Carolina apply to nearly all workers who are employed in relatively unskilled positions. Along with this legal guideline, you are entitled to a higher rate of payment if you work more than 40 hours in a week. On top of your usual minimum wage in South Carolina payments, you are entitled to $10.88 an hour for every additional hour of work.

To get around paying this kind of compensation, unscrupulous employers may sometimes declare that their workers are "salaried." Rather than administering minimum wages in South Carolina on an hourly basis, they will pay the total amount in a lump sum. They will then declare that you are not eligible for overtime pay, since you are being paid on a salaried basis. Such attempts are violations of the law concerning minimum wage in South Carolina.

The truth is that not every employee can be paid on a salaried basis. Generally speaking, such employees are skilled professional who work in fields that involve intellectual labor or administrative work. Such workers are unlikely to be paid minimum wages in South Carolina in the first place. It is a violation of the law for an employer to try to designate a relatively unskilled worker a salaried employee.

In addition to salaried employees, there are several types of workers who are not entitled to minimum wage in South Carolina. For example, workers who have not reached the age of 20 may only receive $4.25 an hour for their first 90 days of work. After this period of time has been passed or they have reached the age of 20, they are entitled to minimum wages in South Carolina. Salespeople who make more than half of their income with commissions are also not entitled to this type of protection.

If you feel that your employer is in violation of the law, you should contact the U.S. Department of Labor. This office has regional divisions which can follow up on any claims that the laws regarding minimum wage in South Carolina have not been obeyed by an employer. Should they decline to prosecute, you may wish to go to civil court to receive compensation for underpaid or unpaid wages. 

People who file litigation against an employer for violations of the laws concerning minimum wages in South Carolina should assemble as much documentation as possible, such as paystubs. If you have a great deal of proof of legal misdoing, you may be able to find free legal representation. A lawyer may agree to handle your case regarding violations of the law regarding minimum wage in South Carolina for free in return for a percentage of whatever you are awarded.

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