Bismarck, ND metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Bismarck, ND?

In the Bismarck, ND metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $32,310 a year ($15.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 950 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $52,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,590 and $61,320; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Dakota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,141 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Bismarck, ND at a glance

Median salary

$32,310$15.53 per hour · $2,693 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,590$8.94/hr
25th percentile$22,890$11.01/hr
75th percentile$46,120$22.17/hr
90th percentile$61,320$29.48/hr
Jobs in this metro950Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $52,560
Against North Dakota5% aboveStatewide median $30,890
Against the U.S.8% 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 Bismarck, ND after taxes

$32,310
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,310
Net 87%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,141After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,345Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,082Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,697 / yr
North Dakota state income taxNone at this income$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,472 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Bismarck, ND, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Bismarck, ND metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (ND)
10th percentile$8.94/hr$1,549$18,590$16,919
25th percentile$11.01/hr$1,908$22,890$20,460
MedianMedian$15.53/hr$2,693$32,310$28,141
75th percentile$22.17/hr$3,843$46,120$39,237
90th percentile$29.48/hr$5,110$61,320$51,451

Is $32,310 a good salary in Bismarck, ND?

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$85,156Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.09% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.9%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 Bismarck, ND: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Bismarck, ND?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Bismarck, ND metro area was $32,310 in May 2025, about $2,693 a month or $15.53 an hour. Statewide, the North Dakota median for this job is $30,890, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Bismarck, ND?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Bismarck, ND was $15.53 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.94 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.48.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Bismarck, ND?

BLS estimated 950 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Bismarck, ND?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Bismarck, ND run from $18,590 at the 10th percentile to $22,890 at the 25th, $46,120 at the 75th, and $61,320 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Bismarck, ND?

On a median gross salary of $32,310, an estimated $28,141 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,082 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Dakota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,169 (an effective rate of 12.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Bismarck, ND?

On the median annual salary of $32,310, gross monthly income is $2,693. After federal, FICA, and North Dakota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,345 per month (or $1,082 every two weeks).

Is $32,310 a good salary in Bismarck, ND?

At $32,310, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 37.9% of the Bismarck, ND median household income ($85,156). It is 39% below the $52,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.0, so prices here run 9% below the U.S. average.