Asheville, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Asheville, NC?

In the Asheville, NC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,450 a year ($16.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,250 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $46,870 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,080 and $65,110; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,995 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Asheville, NC at a glance

Median salary

$34,450$16.56 per hour · $2,871 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,080$8.69/hr
25th percentile$22,260$10.70/hr
75th percentile$49,990$24.03/hr
90th percentile$65,110$31.30/hr
Jobs in this metro3,250Location quotient 1.23 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $46,870
Against North Carolina7% aboveStatewide median $32,150
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $35,230

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

Waiter or waitress salary in Asheville, NC after taxes

$34,450
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,450
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,995After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,416Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,115Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,954 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$866 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,635 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Asheville, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Asheville, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$8.69/hr$1,507$18,080$16,286
25th percentile$10.70/hr$1,855$22,260$19,562
MedianMedian$16.56/hr$2,871$34,450$28,995
75th percentile$24.03/hr$4,166$49,990$40,861
90th percentile$31.30/hr$5,426$65,110$52,407

Is $34,450 a good salary in Asheville, NC?

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

Median household income$71,838Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.53.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48%of area median income

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.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Waiter or waitress pay in Asheville, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Asheville, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Asheville, NC metro area was $34,450 in May 2025, about $2,871 a month or $16.56 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $32,150, so the metro pays 7% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Asheville, NC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Asheville, NC was $16.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.69 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.30.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Asheville, NC?

BLS estimated 3,250 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 18.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.23 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Asheville, NC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Asheville, NC run from $18,080 at the 10th percentile to $22,260 at the 25th, $49,990 at the 75th, and $65,110 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Asheville, NC?

On a median gross salary of $34,450, an estimated $28,995 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,115 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,455 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Asheville, NC?

On the median annual salary of $34,450, gross monthly income is $2,871. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,416 per month (or $1,115 every two weeks).

Is $34,450 a good salary in Asheville, NC?

At $34,450, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 48% of the Asheville, NC median household income ($71,838). It is 26% below the $46,870 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.5, so prices here run 3.5% below the U.S. average.