Waiter or waitress pay in Lake Charles, LA at a glance
Median salary
$15,080$7.25 per hour · $1,257 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 Lake Charles, LA after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Lake Charles, LA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Lake Charles, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (LA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $7.25/hr | $1,257 | $15,080 | $13,860 |
| 25th percentile | $7.25/hr | $1,257 | $15,080 | $13,860 |
| MedianMedian | $7.25/hr | $1,257 | $15,080 | $13,860 |
| 75th percentile | $10.09/hr | $1,749 | $20,990 | $18,652 |
| 90th percentile | $17.75/hr | $3,076 | $36,910 | $31,116 |
Is $15,080 a good salary in Lake Charles, LA?
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 Louisiana 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 Lake Charles, LA: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Lake Charles, LA?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Lake Charles, LA metro area was $15,080 in May 2025, about $1,257 a month or $7.25 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $15,080, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Lake Charles, LA?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Lake Charles, LA was $7.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.75.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Lake Charles, LA?
BLS estimated 1,950 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 19.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.31 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Lake Charles, LA?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Lake Charles, LA run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $15,080 at the 25th, $20,990 at the 75th, and $36,910 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Lake Charles, LA?
On a median gross salary of $15,080, an estimated $13,860 lands in net take-home pay per year ($533 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $1,220 (an effective rate of 8.1%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Lake Charles, LA?
On the median annual salary of $15,080, gross monthly income is $1,257. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,155 per month (or $533 every two weeks).
Is $15,080 a good salary in Lake Charles, LA?
At $15,080, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 22.6% of the Lake Charles, LA median household income ($66,700). It is 67% below the $45,700 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.