Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $28,210 a year ($13.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,800 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $48,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,841 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN at a glance

Median salary

$28,210$13.56 per hour · $2,351 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$20,020$9.63/hr
75th percentile$38,760$18.64/hr
90th percentile$48,990$23.55/hr
Jobs in this metro1,800Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $45,240
Against Tennessee2% aboveStatewide median $27,760
Against the U.S.20% 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN after taxes

$28,210
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,210
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,841After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,070Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$955Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,211 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,158 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Kingsport-Bristol, TN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,926
25th percentile$9.63/hr$1,668$20,020$18,096
MedianMedian$13.56/hr$2,351$28,210$24,841
75th percentile$18.64/hr$3,230$38,760$33,324
90th percentile$23.55/hr$4,083$48,990$41,543

Is $28,210 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

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$57,792Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.413.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.8%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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area was $28,210 in May 2025, about $2,351 a month or $13.56 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $27,760, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA was $13.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.55.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS estimated 1,800 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 15.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.03 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $20,020 at the 25th, $38,760 at the 75th, and $48,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On a median gross salary of $28,210, an estimated $24,841 lands in net take-home pay per year ($955 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,369 (an effective rate of 11.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On the median annual salary of $28,210, gross monthly income is $2,351. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,070 per month (or $955 every two weeks).

Is $28,210 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

At $28,210, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 48.8% of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA median household income ($57,792). It is 38% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.4, so prices here run 13.6% below the U.S. average.