Dover, DE metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Dover, DE?

In the Dover, DE metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,030 a year ($17.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 970 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $46,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $58,740; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,807 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Dover, DE at a glance

Median salary

$36,030$17.32 per hour · $3,003 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$45,890$22.06/hr
90th percentile$58,740$28.24/hr
Jobs in this metro970Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $46,690
Against Delaware2% belowStatewide median $36,880
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational 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 Dover, DE after taxes

$36,030
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,030
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,807After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,484Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,146Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,144 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,323 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,756 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Dover, DE, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Dover, DE metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,194
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,194
MedianMedian$17.32/hr$3,003$36,030$29,807
75th percentile$22.06/hr$3,824$45,890$37,183
90th percentile$28.24/hr$4,895$58,740$46,794

Is $36,030 a good salary in Dover, DE?

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$74,477Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.52.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.4%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 Dover, DE: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Dover, DE?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Dover, DE metro area was $36,030 in May 2025, about $3,003 a month or $17.32 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $36,880, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Dover, DE?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Dover, DE was $17.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.24.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Dover, DE?

BLS estimated 970 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 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 Dover, DE?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Dover, DE run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $45,890 at the 75th, and $58,740 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Dover, DE?

On a median gross salary of $36,030, an estimated $29,807 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,146 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,223 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Dover, DE?

On the median annual salary of $36,030, gross monthly income is $3,003. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,484 per month (or $1,146 every two weeks).

Is $36,030 a good salary in Dover, DE?

At $36,030, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 48.4% of the Dover, DE median household income ($74,477). It is 23% below the $46,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.5, so prices here run 2.5% below the U.S. average.