An apparatus and a method for scheduling packets in a wireless communication system. The method includes the steps of dividing a transmission deadline of the packets for a destination into a first deadline, which is an end point of the transmission deadline, and a second deadline, which is allocated before the first deadline in consideration of a transmission channel state and a quality of service (QoS) of the packets, scheduling and transmitting the packets according to transmission priorities thereof, which are determined by a predetermined scheme, before the second deadline, and scheduling and transmitting the packets according to an approaching order of the packets with respect to the first deadline, if the packets have passed through the second deadline.