Waiter or waitress pay in Albuquerque, NM at a glance
Median salary
$38,050$18.29 per hour · $3,171 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.
Waiter or waitress salary in Albuquerque, NM after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Albuquerque, NM, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $13.29/hr | $2,304 | $27,650 | $24,136 |
| 25th percentile | $14.00/hr | $2,426 | $29,110 | $25,272 |
| MedianMedian | $18.29/hr | $3,171 | $38,050 | $32,069 |
| 75th percentile | $28.33/hr | $4,911 | $58,930 | $47,910 |
| 90th percentile | $33.35/hr | $5,781 | $69,370 | $55,521 |
Is $38,050 a good salary in Albuquerque, NM?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in New Mexico and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Do waiters or waitresses 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.
Waiter or waitress pay in Albuquerque, NM: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Albuquerque, NM?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Albuquerque, NM metro area was $38,050 in May 2025, about $3,171 a month or $18.29 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $36,920, so the metro pays 3% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Albuquerque, NM?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Albuquerque, NM was $18.29 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.29 an hour and one in ten earned more than $33.35.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Albuquerque, NM?
BLS estimated 5,880 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Albuquerque, NM?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Albuquerque, NM run from $27,650 at the 10th percentile to $29,110 at the 25th, $58,930 at the 75th, and $69,370 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Albuquerque, NM?
On a median gross salary of $38,050, an estimated $32,069 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,233 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,981 (an effective rate of 15.7%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Albuquerque, NM?
On the median annual salary of $38,050, gross monthly income is $3,171. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,672 per month (or $1,233 every two weeks).
Is $38,050 a good salary in Albuquerque, NM?
At $38,050, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 53.8% of the Albuquerque, NM median household income ($70,783). It is 21% below the $48,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.5, so prices here run 4.5% below the U.S. average.