McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?

In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $20,650 a year ($9.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,700 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $35,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,430 and $44,210; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $18,615 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in McAllen-Edinburg, TX at a glance

Median salary

$20,650$9.93 per hour · $1,721 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,430$7.42/hr
25th percentile$16,050$7.72/hr
75th percentile$29,820$14.34/hr
90th percentile$44,210$21.26/hr
Jobs in this metro3,700Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $35,830
Against Texas11% belowStatewide median $23,240
Against the U.S.41% 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 McAllen-Edinburg, TX after taxes

$20,650
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$20,650
Net 90%
Fed 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$18,615After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,551Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$716Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate9.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$455 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,580 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in McAllen-Edinburg, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$7.42/hr$1,286$15,430$14,250
25th percentile$7.72/hr$1,338$16,050$14,822
MedianMedian$9.93/hr$1,721$20,650$18,615
75th percentile$14.34/hr$2,485$29,820$26,140
90th percentile$21.26/hr$3,684$44,210$37,703

Is $20,650 a good salary in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?

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$54,338Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household38%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 McAllen-Edinburg, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area was $20,650 in May 2025, about $1,721 a month or $9.93 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $23,240, so the metro pays 11% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX was $9.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.42 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.26.

How many waiters or waitresses work in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

BLS estimated 3,700 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 12.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX run from $15,430 at the 10th percentile to $16,050 at the 25th, $29,820 at the 75th, and $44,210 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

On a median gross salary of $20,650, an estimated $18,615 lands in net take-home pay per year ($716 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,035 (an effective rate of 9.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

On the median annual salary of $20,650, gross monthly income is $1,721. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,551 per month (or $716 every two weeks).

Is $20,650 a good salary in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

At $20,650, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 38% of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX median household income ($54,338). It is 42% below the $35,830 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.