Fairbanks-College, AK metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Fairbanks-College, AK?

In the Fairbanks-College, AK metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,530 a year ($12.75 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 57% below the $61,810 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,860 and $63,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alaska tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,457 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Fairbanks-College, AK at a glance

Median salary

$26,530$12.75 per hour · $2,211 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,860$11.95/hr
25th percentile$25,640$12.33/hr
75th percentile$32,150$15.46/hr
90th percentile$63,190$30.38/hr
Jobs in this metro490Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here57% belowAll-jobs median $61,810
Against Alaska1% aboveStatewide median $26,310
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 Fairbanks-College, AK after taxes

$26,530
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,530
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,457After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,955Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$902Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,043 / yr
Alaska state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,030 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Fairbanks-College, AK, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Fairbanks-College, AK metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AK)
10th percentile$11.95/hr$2,072$24,860$22,082
25th percentile$12.33/hr$2,137$25,640$22,725
MedianMedian$12.75/hr$2,211$26,530$23,457
75th percentile$15.46/hr$2,679$32,150$28,013
90th percentile$30.38/hr$5,266$63,190$52,953

Is $26,530 a good salary in Fairbanks-College, AK?

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$88,267Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.23.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household30.1%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 Fairbanks-College, AK: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Fairbanks-College, AK?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Fairbanks-College, AK metro area was $26,530 in May 2025, about $2,211 a month or $12.75 an hour. Statewide, the Alaska median for this job is $26,310, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Fairbanks-College, AK?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Fairbanks-College, AK was $12.75 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.38.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Fairbanks-College, AK?

BLS estimated 490 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.93 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Fairbanks-College, AK?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Fairbanks-College, AK run from $24,860 at the 10th percentile to $25,640 at the 25th, $32,150 at the 75th, and $63,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Fairbanks-College, AK?

On a median gross salary of $26,530, an estimated $23,457 lands in net take-home pay per year ($902 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alaska in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,073 (an effective rate of 11.6%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Fairbanks-College, AK?

On the median annual salary of $26,530, gross monthly income is $2,211. After federal, FICA, and Alaska state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,955 per month (or $902 every two weeks).

Is $26,530 a good salary in Fairbanks-College, AK?

At $26,530, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 30.1% of the Fairbanks-College, AK median household income ($88,267). It is 57% below the $61,810 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.2, so prices here run 3.2% above the U.S. average.