Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?

In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $18,460 a year ($8.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 45,880 of these jobs there. That is 64% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $46,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $16,639 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA at a glance

Median salary

$18,460$8.88 per hour · $1,538 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
75th percentile$36,760$17.67/hr
90th percentile$46,800$22.50/hr
Jobs in this metro45,880Location quotient 1.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here64% belowAll-jobs median $51,170
Against Georgia1% belowStatewide median $18,700
Against the U.S.48% 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA after taxes

$18,460
$15,000$40,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$18,460
Net 90%
Fed 1%
GA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$16,639After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,387Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$640Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate9.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$236 / yr
Georgia state income tax$173 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,412 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,922
25th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,922
MedianMedian$8.88/hr$1,538$18,460$16,639
75th percentile$17.67/hr$3,063$36,760$30,631
90th percentile$22.50/hr$3,900$46,800$38,197

Is $18,460 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?

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$89,724Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.10.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household20.6%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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area was $18,460 in May 2025, about $1,538 a month or $8.88 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $18,700, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA was $8.88 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.50.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS estimated 45,880 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 15.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.09 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $15,080 at the 25th, $36,760 at the 75th, and $46,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On a median gross salary of $18,460, an estimated $16,639 lands in net take-home pay per year ($640 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $1,821 (an effective rate of 9.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On the median annual salary of $18,460, gross monthly income is $1,538. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,387 per month (or $640 every two weeks).

Is $18,460 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

At $18,460, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 20.6% of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median household income ($89,724). It is 64% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.1, so prices here run 0.1% above the U.S. average.