Bellingham, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Bellingham, WA?

In the Bellingham, WA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $56,700 a year ($27.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,450 of these jobs there. That is 2% below the $57,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,670 and $89,830; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $47,738 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Bellingham, WA at a glance

Median salary

$56,700$27.26 per hour · $4,725 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,670$17.63/hr
25th percentile$45,120$21.69/hr
75th percentile$66,960$32.19/hr
90th percentile$89,830$43.19/hr
Jobs in this metro1,450Location quotient 1.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% belowAll-jobs median $57,820
Against Washington1% aboveStatewide median $56,130
Against the U.S.61% aboveNational 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 Bellingham, WA after taxes

$56,700
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$56,700
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$47,738After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,978Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,836Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,624 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,338 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Bellingham, WA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Bellingham, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$17.63/hr$3,056$36,670$31,644
25th percentile$21.69/hr$3,760$45,120$38,434
MedianMedian$27.26/hr$4,725$56,700$47,738
75th percentile$32.19/hr$5,580$66,960$55,936
90th percentile$43.19/hr$7,486$89,830$72,025

Is $56,700 a good salary in Bellingham, WA?

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$81,784Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.33.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household69.3%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 Bellingham, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Bellingham, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Bellingham, WA metro area was $56,700 in May 2025, about $4,725 a month or $27.26 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $56,130, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Bellingham, WA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Bellingham, WA was $27.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.63 an hour and one in ten earned more than $43.19.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Bellingham, WA?

BLS estimated 1,450 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 Bellingham, WA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Bellingham, WA run from $36,670 at the 10th percentile to $45,120 at the 25th, $66,960 at the 75th, and $89,830 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Bellingham, WA?

On a median gross salary of $56,700, an estimated $47,738 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,836 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,962 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Bellingham, WA?

On the median annual salary of $56,700, gross monthly income is $4,725. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,978 per month (or $1,836 every two weeks).

Is $56,700 a good salary in Bellingham, WA?

At $56,700, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 69.3% of the Bellingham, WA median household income ($81,784). It is 2% below the $57,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.3, so prices here run 3.3% above the U.S. average.