Waiter or waitress pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a glance
Median salary
$46,580$22.39 per hour · $3,882 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.50/hr | $2,687 | $32,240 | $26,940 |
| 25th percentile | $17.05/hr | $2,955 | $35,460 | $29,354 |
| MedianMedian | $22.39/hr | $3,882 | $46,580 | $37,688 |
| 75th percentile | $30.34/hr | $5,259 | $63,110 | $50,078 |
| 90th percentile | $41.63/hr | $7,216 | $86,590 | $65,667 |
Is $46,580 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
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 York 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area was $46,580 in May 2025, about $3,882 a month or $22.39 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $47,020, so the metro pays 1% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY was $22.39 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $41.63.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
BLS estimated 7,990 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.02 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $35,460 at the 25th, $63,110 at the 75th, and $86,590 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
On a median gross salary of $46,580, an estimated $37,688 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,450 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,892 (an effective rate of 19.1%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
On the median annual salary of $46,580, gross monthly income is $3,882. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,141 per month (or $1,450 every two weeks).
Is $46,580 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
At $46,580, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 64.5% of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY median household income ($72,237). It is 8% below the $50,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.8, so prices here run 4.2% below the U.S. average.