Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Burlington, VT?

In the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $61,620 a year ($29.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,510 of these jobs there. That is 3% above the $60,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,200 and $89,130; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Vermont tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $50,061 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Burlington, VT at a glance

Median salary

$61,620$29.63 per hour · $5,135 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,200$14.52/hr
25th percentile$37,220$17.90/hr
75th percentile$78,590$37.78/hr
90th percentile$89,130$42.85/hr
Jobs in this metro1,510Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here3% aboveAll-jobs median $60,020
Against Vermont4% aboveStatewide median $59,140
Against the U.S.75% 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 Burlington, VT after taxes

$61,620
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$61,620
Net 81%
Fed 8%
VT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$50,061After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,172Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,925Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,214 / yr
Vermont state income tax$1,630 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,714 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Burlington, VT, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VT)
10th percentile$14.52/hr$2,517$30,200$25,868
25th percentile$17.90/hr$3,102$37,220$31,273
MedianMedian$29.63/hr$5,135$61,620$50,061
75th percentile$37.78/hr$6,549$78,590$61,391
90th percentile$42.85/hr$7,428$89,130$68,110

Is $61,620 a good salary in Burlington, VT?

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$93,043Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household66.2%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 Burlington, VT: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area was $61,620 in May 2025, about $5,135 a month or $29.63 an hour. Statewide, the Vermont median for this job is $59,140, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Burlington-South Burlington, VT was $29.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $42.85.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

BLS estimated 1,510 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 12.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Burlington-South Burlington, VT run from $30,200 at the 10th percentile to $37,220 at the 25th, $78,590 at the 75th, and $89,130 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

On a median gross salary of $61,620, an estimated $50,061 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,925 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Vermont in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,559 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

On the median annual salary of $61,620, gross monthly income is $5,135. After federal, FICA, and Vermont state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,172 per month (or $1,925 every two weeks).

Is $61,620 a good salary in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

At $61,620, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 66.2% of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT median household income ($93,043). It is 3% above the $60,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.