Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $22,080 a year ($10.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 51,330 of these jobs there. That is 55% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,480 and $47,290; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,793 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX at a glance

Median salary

$22,080$10.61 per hour · $1,840 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,480$8.41/hr
25th percentile$17,870$8.59/hr
75th percentile$37,390$17.97/hr
90th percentile$47,290$22.74/hr
Jobs in this metro51,330Location quotient 1.07 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here55% belowAll-jobs median $49,410
Against Texas5% belowStatewide median $23,240
Against the U.S.37% 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 Houston-Pasadena, TX after taxes

$22,080
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$22,080
Net 90%
Fed 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,793After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,649Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$761Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate10.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$598 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,689 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Houston-Pasadena, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$8.41/hr$1,457$17,480$16,005
25th percentile$8.59/hr$1,489$17,870$16,326
MedianMedian$10.61/hr$1,840$22,080$19,793
75th percentile$17.97/hr$3,116$37,390$32,223
90th percentile$22.74/hr$3,941$47,290$40,178

Is $22,080 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena, 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$82,168Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.61.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household26.9%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 Houston-Pasadena, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area was $22,080 in May 2025, about $1,840 a month or $10.61 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $23,240, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX was $10.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.41 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.74.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS estimated 51,330 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 15.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.07 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX run from $17,480 at the 10th percentile to $17,870 at the 25th, $37,390 at the 75th, and $47,290 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On a median gross salary of $22,080, an estimated $19,793 lands in net take-home pay per year ($761 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,287 (an effective rate of 10.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On the median annual salary of $22,080, gross monthly income is $1,840. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,649 per month (or $761 every two weeks).

Is $22,080 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

At $22,080, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 26.9% of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX median household income ($82,168). It is 55% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.6, so prices here run 1.4% below the U.S. average.