Waco, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Waco, TX?

In the Waco, TX metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $21,420 a year ($10.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 500 of these jobs there. That is 53% below the $46,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,200 and $62,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,249 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Waco, TX at a glance

Median salary

$21,420$10.30 per hour · $1,785 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,200$7.79/hr
25th percentile$16,950$8.15/hr
75th percentile$36,810$17.70/hr
90th percentile$62,890$30.24/hr
Jobs in this metro500Location quotient 0.79 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here53% belowAll-jobs median $46,020
Against Texas6% belowStatewide median $22,690
Against the U.S.38% belowNational median $34,340

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Waco, TX after taxes

$21,420
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$21,420
Net 90%
Fed 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,249After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,604Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$740Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate10.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$532 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,639 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Waco, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Waco, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Waco, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$7.79/hr$1,350$16,200$14,951
25th percentile$8.15/hr$1,413$16,950$15,568
MedianMedian$10.30/hr$1,785$21,420$19,249
75th percentile$17.70/hr$3,068$36,810$31,757
90th percentile$30.24/hr$5,241$62,890$52,712

Is $21,420 a good salary in Waco, TX?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.

Median household income$66,205Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.57.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household32.4%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do bartenders pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Bartender pay in Waco, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Waco, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Waco, TX metro area was $21,420 in May 2025, about $1,785 a month or $10.30 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $22,690, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Waco, TX?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Waco, TX was $10.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.24.

How many bartenders work in Waco, TX?

BLS estimated 500 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.79 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Waco, TX?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Waco, TX run from $16,200 at the 10th percentile to $16,950 at the 25th, $36,810 at the 75th, and $62,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Waco, TX?

On a median gross salary of $21,420, an estimated $19,249 lands in net take-home pay per year ($740 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,171 (an effective rate of 10.1%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Waco, TX?

On the median annual salary of $21,420, gross monthly income is $1,785. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,604 per month (or $740 every two weeks).

Is $21,420 a good salary in Waco, TX?

At $21,420, the median salary for bartenders is 32.4% of the Waco, TX median household income ($66,205). It is 53% below the $46,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.5, so prices here run 7.5% below the U.S. average.