Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

In the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $82,550 a year ($39.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,700 of these jobs there. That is 43% above the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,430 and $135,660; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Hawaii tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $62,434 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Kahului-Wailuku, HI at a glance

Median salary

$82,550$39.69 per hour · $6,879 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,430$15.59/hr
25th percentile$37,070$17.82/hr
75th percentile$120,680$58.02/hr
90th percentile$135,660$65.22/hr
Jobs in this metro2,700Location quotient 2.50 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here43% aboveAll-jobs median $57,640
Against Hawaii32% aboveStatewide median $62,390
Against the U.S.134% aboveNational 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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI after taxes

$82,550
$30,000$170,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$82,550
Net 76%
Fed 11%
HI 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$62,434After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,203Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,401Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate24.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$9,331 / yr
Hawaii state income tax$4,470 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,315 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Kahului-Wailuku, HI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (HI)
10th percentile$15.59/hr$2,703$32,430$27,424
25th percentile$17.82/hr$3,089$37,070$30,840
MedianMedian$39.69/hr$6,879$82,550$62,434
75th percentile$58.02/hr$10,057$120,680$86,361
90th percentile$65.22/hr$11,305$135,660$95,479

Is $82,550 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

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$97,109Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.49.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household85%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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area was $82,550 in May 2025, about $6,879 a month or $39.69 an hour. Statewide, the Hawaii median for this job is $62,390, so the metro pays 32% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Kahului-Wailuku, HI was $39.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $65.22.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS estimated 2,700 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 36.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.50 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Kahului-Wailuku, HI run from $32,430 at the 10th percentile to $37,070 at the 25th, $120,680 at the 75th, and $135,660 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On a median gross salary of $82,550, an estimated $62,434 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,401 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Hawaii in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $20,116 (an effective rate of 24.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On the median annual salary of $82,550, gross monthly income is $6,879. After federal, FICA, and Hawaii state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,203 per month (or $2,401 every two weeks).

Is $82,550 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

At $82,550, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 85% of the Kahului-Wailuku, HI median household income ($97,109). It is 43% above the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.4, so prices here run 9.4% above the U.S. average.