Lancaster, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Lancaster, PA?

In the Lancaster, PA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $32,190 a year ($15.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,520 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $48,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,820 and $62,100; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,056 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Lancaster, PA at a glance

Median salary

$32,190$15.48 per hour · $2,683 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,820$8.57/hr
25th percentile$26,090$12.54/hr
75th percentile$46,260$22.24/hr
90th percentile$62,100$29.85/hr
Jobs in this metro3,520Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $48,210
Against Pennsylvania7% belowStatewide median $34,690
Against the U.S.9% 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 Lancaster, PA after taxes

$32,190
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,190
Net 84%
Fed 5%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,056After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,255Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,041Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,683 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$988 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,463 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Lancaster, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Lancaster, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$8.57/hr$1,485$17,820$15,738
25th percentile$12.54/hr$2,174$26,090$22,294
MedianMedian$15.48/hr$2,683$32,190$27,056
75th percentile$22.24/hr$3,855$46,260$37,930
90th percentile$29.85/hr$5,175$62,100$50,171

Is $32,190 a good salary in Lancaster, PA?

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$86,959Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.31.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37%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 Lancaster, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Lancaster, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Lancaster, PA metro area was $32,190 in May 2025, about $2,683 a month or $15.48 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $34,690, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Lancaster, PA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Lancaster, PA was $15.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.57 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.85.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Lancaster, PA?

BLS estimated 3,520 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.95 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Lancaster, PA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Lancaster, PA run from $17,820 at the 10th percentile to $26,090 at the 25th, $46,260 at the 75th, and $62,100 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Lancaster, PA?

On a median gross salary of $32,190, an estimated $27,056 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,041 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,134 (an effective rate of 15.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Lancaster, PA?

On the median annual salary of $32,190, gross monthly income is $2,683. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,255 per month (or $1,041 every two weeks).

Is $32,190 a good salary in Lancaster, PA?

At $32,190, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 37% of the Lancaster, PA median household income ($86,959). It is 33% below the $48,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.3, so prices here run 1.7% below the U.S. average.