Cedar Rapids, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Cedar Rapids, IA?

In the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $21,670 a year ($10.42 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,920 of these jobs there. That is 56% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $48,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,284 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Cedar Rapids, IA at a glance

Median salary

$21,670$10.42 per hour · $1,806 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
75th percentile$36,900$17.74/hr
90th percentile$48,720$23.43/hr
Jobs in this metro1,920Location quotient 0.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here56% belowAll-jobs median $49,360
Against Iowa3% aboveStatewide median $21,000
Against the U.S.38% belowNational median $35,230

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Waiter or waitress salary in Cedar Rapids, IA after taxes

$21,670
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$21,670
Net 89%
Fed 3%
IA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,284After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,607Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$742Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$557 / yr
Iowa state income tax$172 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,658 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Cedar Rapids, IA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,926
25th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,926
MedianMedian$10.42/hr$1,806$21,670$19,284
75th percentile$17.74/hr$3,075$36,900$31,079
90th percentile$23.43/hr$4,060$48,720$40,127

Is $21,670 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

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$78,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.011% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household27.8%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 Cedar Rapids, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area was $21,670 in May 2025, about $1,806 a month or $10.42 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $21,000, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Cedar Rapids, IA was $10.42 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.43.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS estimated 1,920 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.94 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Cedar Rapids, IA run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $15,080 at the 25th, $36,900 at the 75th, and $48,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On a median gross salary of $21,670, an estimated $19,284 lands in net take-home pay per year ($742 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,386 (an effective rate of 11%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On the median annual salary of $21,670, gross monthly income is $1,806. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,607 per month (or $742 every two weeks).

Is $21,670 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

At $21,670, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 27.8% of the Cedar Rapids, IA median household income ($78,080). It is 56% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.0, so prices here run 11% below the U.S. average.