Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $24,160 a year ($11.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 53,460 of these jobs there. That is 53% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,960 and $49,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $21,506 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at a glance

Median salary

$24,160$11.61 per hour · $2,013 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,960$8.64/hr
25th percentile$18,520$8.90/hr
75th percentile$37,280$17.92/hr
90th percentile$49,510$23.80/hr
Jobs in this metro53,460Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here53% belowAll-jobs median $51,440
Against Texas4% aboveStatewide median $23,240
Against the U.S.31% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX after taxes

$24,160
$15,000$50,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$24,160
Net 89%
Fed 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$21,506After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,792Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$827Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$806 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,848 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$8.64/hr$1,497$17,960$16,400
25th percentile$8.90/hr$1,543$18,520$16,861
MedianMedian$11.61/hr$2,013$24,160$21,506
75th percentile$17.92/hr$3,107$37,280$32,134
90th percentile$23.80/hr$4,126$49,510$41,961

Is $24,160 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

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$90,275Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.13.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household26.8%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 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area was $24,160 in May 2025, about $2,013 a month or $11.61 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $23,240, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX was $11.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.64 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.80.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS estimated 53,460 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX run from $17,960 at the 10th percentile to $18,520 at the 25th, $37,280 at the 75th, and $49,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On a median gross salary of $24,160, an estimated $21,506 lands in net take-home pay per year ($827 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,654 (an effective rate of 11%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On the median annual salary of $24,160, gross monthly income is $2,013. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,792 per month (or $827 every two weeks).

Is $24,160 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

At $24,160, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 26.8% of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX median household income ($90,275). It is 53% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.1, so prices here run 3.1% above the U.S. average.