Waiter or waitress pay in Columbus, OH at a glance
Median salary
$37,490$18.03 per hour · $3,124 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in Columbus, OH after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Columbus, OH, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Columbus, OH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (OH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $11.72/hr | $2,031 | $24,370 | $21,679 |
| 25th percentile | $14.24/hr | $2,468 | $29,620 | $25,616 |
| MedianMedian | $18.03/hr | $3,124 | $37,490 | $31,723 |
| 75th percentile | $23.75/hr | $4,117 | $49,400 | $40,958 |
| 90th percentile | $30.41/hr | $5,271 | $63,250 | $51,706 |
Is $37,490 a good salary in Columbus, OH?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in Ohio and across the U.S.
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.
Waiter or waitress pay in Columbus, OH: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, OH?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Columbus, OH metro area was $37,490 in May 2025, about $3,124 a month or $18.03 an hour. Statewide, the Ohio median for this job is $36,700, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, OH?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, OH was $18.03 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.72 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.41.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Columbus, OH?
BLS estimated 15,900 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 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 Columbus, OH?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Columbus, OH run from $24,370 at the 10th percentile to $29,620 at the 25th, $49,400 at the 75th, and $63,250 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, OH?
On a median gross salary of $37,490, an estimated $31,723 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,220 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Ohio in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,767 (an effective rate of 15.4%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Columbus, OH?
On the median annual salary of $37,490, gross monthly income is $3,124. After federal, FICA, and Ohio state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,644 per month (or $1,220 every two weeks).
Is $37,490 a good salary in Columbus, OH?
At $37,490, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 45.8% of the Columbus, OH median household income ($81,945). It is 27% below the $51,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.5, so prices here run 4.5% below the U.S. average.