Jefferson City, MO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Jefferson City, MO?

In the Jefferson City, MO metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $30,280 a year ($14.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 820 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $48,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,600 and $50,450; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Missouri tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,020 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Jefferson City, MO at a glance

Median salary

$30,280$14.56 per hour · $2,523 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
25th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
75th percentile$37,830$18.19/hr
90th percentile$50,450$24.25/hr
Jobs in this metro820Location quotient 0.70 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $48,030
Against Missouri3% aboveStatewide median $29,400
Against the U.S.14% 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 Jefferson City, MO after taxes

$30,280
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,280
Net 86%
Fed 5%
MO 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,020After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,168Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,001Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,454 / yr
Missouri state income tax$490 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,316 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Jefferson City, MO, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Jefferson City, MO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MO)
10th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$24,747
25th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$24,747
MedianMedian$14.56/hr$2,523$30,280$26,020
75th percentile$18.19/hr$3,153$37,830$31,742
90th percentile$24.25/hr$4,204$50,450$41,289

Is $30,280 a good salary in Jefferson City, MO?

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$74,030Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.012% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.9%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 Jefferson City, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Jefferson City, MO?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Jefferson City, MO metro area was $30,280 in May 2025, about $2,523 a month or $14.56 an hour. Statewide, the Missouri median for this job is $29,400, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Jefferson City, MO?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Jefferson City, MO was $14.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.25.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Jefferson City, MO?

BLS estimated 820 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 10.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.70 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Jefferson City, MO?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Jefferson City, MO run from $28,600 at the 10th percentile to $28,600 at the 25th, $37,830 at the 75th, and $50,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Jefferson City, MO?

On a median gross salary of $30,280, an estimated $26,020 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,001 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Missouri in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,260 (an effective rate of 14.1%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Jefferson City, MO?

On the median annual salary of $30,280, gross monthly income is $2,523. After federal, FICA, and Missouri state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,168 per month (or $1,001 every two weeks).

Is $30,280 a good salary in Jefferson City, MO?

At $30,280, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 40.9% of the Jefferson City, MO median household income ($74,030). It is 37% below the $48,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.0, so prices here run 12% below the U.S. average.