Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,430 a year ($17.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 19,990 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,100 and $74,440; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,507 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Charlotte-Concord, NC at a glance

Median salary

$36,430$17.51 per hour · $3,036 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,100$8.70/hr
25th percentile$21,030$10.11/hr
75th percentile$57,580$27.68/hr
90th percentile$74,440$35.79/hr
Jobs in this metro19,990Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $49,990
Against North Carolina13% aboveStatewide median $32,150
Against the U.S.3% 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 Charlotte-Concord, NC after taxes

$36,430
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,430
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,507After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,542Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,173Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,192 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$945 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,787 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Charlotte-Concord, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$8.70/hr$1,508$18,100$16,302
25th percentile$10.11/hr$1,753$21,030$18,598
MedianMedian$17.51/hr$3,036$36,430$30,507
75th percentile$27.68/hr$4,798$57,580$46,657
90th percentile$35.79/hr$6,203$74,440$58,737

Is $36,430 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

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$83,304Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.7%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 Charlotte-Concord, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area was $36,430 in May 2025, about $3,036 a month or $17.51 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $32,150, so the metro pays 13% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC was $17.51 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.70 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.79.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS estimated 19,990 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC run from $18,100 at the 10th percentile to $21,030 at the 25th, $57,580 at the 75th, and $74,440 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On a median gross salary of $36,430, an estimated $30,507 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,173 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,923 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On the median annual salary of $36,430, gross monthly income is $3,036. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,542 per month (or $1,173 every two weeks).

Is $36,430 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

At $36,430, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 43.7% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median household income ($83,304). It is 27% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.