Charleston, WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Charleston, WV?

In the Charleston, WV metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,900 a year ($17.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,190 of these jobs there. That is 19% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,270 and $58,540; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and West Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,884 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Charleston, WV at a glance

Median salary

$36,900$17.74 per hour · $3,075 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,270$9.75/hr
25th percentile$27,170$13.06/hr
75th percentile$48,160$23.16/hr
90th percentile$58,540$28.14/hr
Jobs in this metro1,190Location quotient 0.79 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here19% belowAll-jobs median $45,830
Against West Virginia4% aboveStatewide median $35,380
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational 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 Charleston, WV after taxes

$36,900
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,900
Net 84%
Fed 6%
WV 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,884After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,574Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,188Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,248 / yr
West Virginia state income tax$945 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,823 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Charleston, WV, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Charleston, WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WV)
10th percentile$9.75/hr$1,689$20,270$17,859
25th percentile$13.06/hr$2,264$27,170$23,347
MedianMedian$17.74/hr$3,075$36,900$30,884
75th percentile$23.16/hr$4,013$48,160$39,510
90th percentile$28.14/hr$4,878$58,540$47,412

Is $36,900 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

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$60,117Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.711.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household61.4%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 Charleston, WV: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Charleston, WV?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Charleston, WV metro area was $36,900 in May 2025, about $3,075 a month or $17.74 an hour. Statewide, the West Virginia median for this job is $35,380, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Charleston, WV?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Charleston, WV was $17.74 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.14.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Charleston, WV?

BLS estimated 1,190 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 11.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.79 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Charleston, WV?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Charleston, WV run from $20,270 at the 10th percentile to $27,170 at the 25th, $48,160 at the 75th, and $58,540 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Charleston, WV?

On a median gross salary of $36,900, an estimated $30,884 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,188 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in West Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,016 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Charleston, WV?

On the median annual salary of $36,900, gross monthly income is $3,075. After federal, FICA, and West Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,574 per month (or $1,188 every two weeks).

Is $36,900 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

At $36,900, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 61.4% of the Charleston, WV median household income ($60,117). It is 19% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.7, so prices here run 11.3% below the U.S. average.