Lawrence, KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Lawrence, KS?

In the Lawrence, KS metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $37,230 a year ($17.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,190 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $47,390 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $19,980 and $65,290; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,817 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Lawrence, KS at a glance

Median salary

$37,230$17.90 per hour · $3,103 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$19,980$9.61/hr
25th percentile$27,950$13.44/hr
75th percentile$59,010$28.37/hr
90th percentile$65,290$31.39/hr
Jobs in this metro1,190Location quotient 1.58 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $47,390
Against Kansas3% aboveStatewide median $36,120
Against the U.S.6% aboveNational 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 Lawrence, KS after taxes

$37,230
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,230
Net 83%
Fed 6%
KS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,817After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,568Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,185Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,288 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,278 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,848 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Lawrence, KS, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Lawrence, KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$9.61/hr$1,665$19,980$17,688
25th percentile$13.44/hr$2,329$27,950$23,837
MedianMedian$17.90/hr$3,103$37,230$30,817
75th percentile$28.37/hr$4,918$59,010$47,101
90th percentile$31.39/hr$5,441$65,290$51,797

Is $37,230 a good salary in Lawrence, KS?

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$69,746Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.4%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 Lawrence, KS: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Lawrence, KS?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Lawrence, KS metro area was $37,230 in May 2025, about $3,103 a month or $17.90 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $36,120, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Lawrence, KS?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Lawrence, KS was $17.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.39.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Lawrence, KS?

BLS estimated 1,190 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 23.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.58 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Lawrence, KS?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Lawrence, KS run from $19,980 at the 10th percentile to $27,950 at the 25th, $59,010 at the 75th, and $65,290 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Lawrence, KS?

On a median gross salary of $37,230, an estimated $30,817 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,185 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,413 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Lawrence, KS?

On the median annual salary of $37,230, gross monthly income is $3,103. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,568 per month (or $1,185 every two weeks).

Is $37,230 a good salary in Lawrence, KS?

At $37,230, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 53.4% of the Lawrence, KS median household income ($69,746). It is 21% below the $47,390 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.2, so prices here run 9.8% below the U.S. average.