Waiter or waitress pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN at a glance
Median salary
$28,420$13.67 per hour · $2,368 monthly · BLS May 2025Run 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (IN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $8.39/hr | $1,454 | $17,450 | $15,495 |
| 25th percentile | $10.19/hr | $1,766 | $21,190 | $18,464 |
| MedianMedian | $13.67/hr | $2,368 | $28,420 | $24,205 |
| 75th percentile | $17.26/hr | $2,992 | $35,900 | $29,996 |
| 90th percentile | $22.72/hr | $3,938 | $47,250 | $38,781 |
Is $28,420 a good salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in Indiana and across the U.S.
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.
Waiter or waitress pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metro area was $28,420 in May 2025, about $2,368 a month or $13.67 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,480, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN was $13.67 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.39 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.72.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
BLS estimated 1,490 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.00 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN run from $17,450 at the 10th percentile to $21,190 at the 25th, $35,900 at the 75th, and $47,250 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
On a median gross salary of $28,420, an estimated $24,205 lands in net take-home pay per year ($931 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,215 (an effective rate of 14.8%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
On the median annual salary of $28,420, gross monthly income is $2,368. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,017 per month (or $931 every two weeks).
Is $28,420 a good salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
At $28,420, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 45.8% of the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN median household income ($62,011). It is 42% below the $48,780 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.4, so prices here run 6.6% below the U.S. average.