Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

In the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $25,990 a year ($12.49 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,100 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $39,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,240 and $35,330; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,028 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL at a glance

Median salary

$25,990$12.49 per hour · $2,166 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,240$7.81/hr
25th percentile$19,840$9.54/hr
75th percentile$27,650$13.30/hr
90th percentile$35,330$16.99/hr
Jobs in this metro1,100Location quotient 1.34 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $39,740
Against Alabama3% belowStatewide median $26,840
Against the U.S.26% 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL after taxes

$25,990
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$25,990
Net 85%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,028After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,836Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$847Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$989 / yr
Alabama state income tax$985 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,988 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$7.81/hr$1,353$16,240$14,437
25th percentile$9.54/hr$1,653$19,840$17,240
MedianMedian$12.49/hr$2,166$25,990$22,028
75th percentile$13.30/hr$2,304$27,650$23,315
90th percentile$16.99/hr$2,944$35,330$29,145

Is $25,990 a good salary in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

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$61,891Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)84.815.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42%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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro area was $25,990 in May 2025, about $2,166 a month or $12.49 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $26,840, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL was $12.49 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.81 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.99.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

BLS estimated 1,100 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 19.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.34 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL run from $16,240 at the 10th percentile to $19,840 at the 25th, $27,650 at the 75th, and $35,330 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

On a median gross salary of $25,990, an estimated $22,028 lands in net take-home pay per year ($847 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,962 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

On the median annual salary of $25,990, gross monthly income is $2,166. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,836 per month (or $847 every two weeks).

Is $25,990 a good salary in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?

At $25,990, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 42% of the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL median household income ($61,891). It is 35% below the $39,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 84.8, so prices here run 15.2% below the U.S. average.