Columbus, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Columbus, IN?

In the Columbus, IN metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,340 a year ($12.66 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 490 of these jobs there. That is 46% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,790 and $47,380; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,553 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Columbus, IN at a glance

Median salary

$26,340$12.66 per hour · $2,195 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,790$8.07/hr
25th percentile$18,510$8.90/hr
75th percentile$36,210$17.41/hr
90th percentile$47,380$22.78/hr
Jobs in this metro490Location quotient 0.67 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here46% belowAll-jobs median $48,470
Against Indiana8% belowStatewide median $28,480
Against the U.S.25% belowNational 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 Columbus, IN after taxes

$26,340
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,340
Net 86%
Fed 4%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,553After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,879Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$867Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,024 / yr
Indiana state income tax$748 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,015 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Columbus, IN, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Columbus, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$8.07/hr$1,399$16,790$14,971
25th percentile$8.90/hr$1,543$18,510$16,336
MedianMedian$12.66/hr$2,195$26,340$22,553
75th percentile$17.41/hr$3,018$36,210$30,236
90th percentile$22.78/hr$3,948$47,380$38,882

Is $26,340 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

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$79,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.07% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household33%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 Columbus, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Columbus, IN metro area was $26,340 in May 2025, about $2,195 a month or $12.66 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,480, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, IN?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, IN was $12.66 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.07 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.78.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Columbus, IN?

BLS estimated 490 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.67 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, IN?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, IN run from $16,790 at the 10th percentile to $18,510 at the 25th, $36,210 at the 75th, and $47,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Columbus, IN?

On a median gross salary of $26,340, an estimated $22,553 lands in net take-home pay per year ($867 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,787 (an effective rate of 14.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Columbus, IN?

On the median annual salary of $26,340, gross monthly income is $2,195. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,879 per month (or $867 every two weeks).

Is $26,340 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

At $26,340, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 33% of the Columbus, IN median household income ($79,901). It is 46% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.0, so prices here run 7% below the U.S. average.