Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,260 a year ($16.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,920 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,040 and $62,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,656 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA at a glance

Median salary

$34,260$16.47 per hour · $2,855 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,040$8.67/hr
25th percentile$24,070$11.57/hr
75th percentile$46,770$22.49/hr
90th percentile$62,800$30.19/hr
Jobs in this metro3,920Location quotient 0.80 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $49,610
Against Pennsylvania1% belowStatewide median $34,690
Against the U.S.3% 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA after taxes

$34,260
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,260
Net 84%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,656After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,388Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,102Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,931 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,052 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,621 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$8.67/hr$1,503$18,040$15,912
25th percentile$11.57/hr$2,006$24,070$20,693
MedianMedian$16.47/hr$2,855$34,260$28,656
75th percentile$22.49/hr$3,898$46,770$38,324
90th percentile$30.19/hr$5,233$62,800$50,712

Is $34,260 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

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$80,919Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.71.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.3%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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area was $34,260 in May 2025, about $2,855 a month or $16.47 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $34,690, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA was $16.47 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.67 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.19.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS estimated 3,920 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 11.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.80 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA run from $18,040 at the 10th percentile to $24,070 at the 25th, $46,770 at the 75th, and $62,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On a median gross salary of $34,260, an estimated $28,656 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,102 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,604 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On the median annual salary of $34,260, gross monthly income is $2,855. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,388 per month (or $1,102 every two weeks).

Is $34,260 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

At $34,260, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 42.3% of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA median household income ($80,919). It is 31% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.7, so prices here run 1.3% below the U.S. average.