Waiter or waitress pay in Lansing-East Lansing, MI at a glance
Median salary
$38,210$18.37 per hour · $3,184 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 Lansing-East Lansing, MI after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in Lansing-East Lansing, MI, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (MI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $12.92/hr | $2,239 | $26,870 | $22,846 |
| 25th percentile | $14.56/hr | $2,523 | $30,280 | $25,474 |
| MedianMedian | $18.37/hr | $3,184 | $38,210 | $31,509 |
| 75th percentile | $28.65/hr | $4,967 | $59,600 | $47,786 |
| 90th percentile | $30.79/hr | $5,337 | $64,040 | $51,165 |
Is $38,210 a good salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
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 Michigan 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 Lansing-East Lansing, MI: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area was $38,210 in May 2025, about $3,184 a month or $18.37 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $37,760, so the metro pays 1% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Lansing-East Lansing, MI was $18.37 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.92 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.79.
How many waiters or waitresses work in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
BLS estimated 2,710 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 12.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Lansing-East Lansing, MI run from $26,870 at the 10th percentile to $30,280 at the 25th, $59,600 at the 75th, and $64,040 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
On a median gross salary of $38,210, an estimated $31,509 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,212 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,701 (an effective rate of 17.5%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
On the median annual salary of $38,210, gross monthly income is $3,184. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,626 per month (or $1,212 every two weeks).
Is $38,210 a good salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
At $38,210, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 52.7% of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI median household income ($72,550). It is 28% below the $52,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.0, so prices here run 5% below the U.S. average.