Missoula, MT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Missoula, MT?

In the Missoula, MT metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $23,210 a year ($11.16 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 930 of these jobs there. That is 51% below the $47,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,940 and $41,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Montana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $20,389 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Missoula, MT at a glance

Median salary

$23,210$11.16 per hour · $1,934 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,940$10.55/hr
25th percentile$22,150$10.65/hr
75th percentile$28,660$13.78/hr
90th percentile$41,890$20.14/hr
Jobs in this metro930Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here51% belowAll-jobs median $47,830
Against Montana1% belowStatewide median $23,370
Against the U.S.34% 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 Missoula, MT after taxes

$23,210
$15,000$50,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$23,210
Net 88%
Fed 3%
MT 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$20,389After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,699Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$784Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$711 / yr
Montana state income tax$334 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,776 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Missoula, MT, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Missoula, MT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MT)
10th percentile$10.55/hr$1,828$21,940$19,403
25th percentile$10.65/hr$1,846$22,150$19,566
MedianMedian$11.16/hr$1,934$23,210$20,389
75th percentile$13.78/hr$2,388$28,660$24,618
90th percentile$20.14/hr$3,491$41,890$34,626

Is $23,210 a good salary in Missoula, MT?

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$74,989Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.43.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household31%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 Missoula, MT: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Missoula, MT?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Missoula, MT metro area was $23,210 in May 2025, about $1,934 a month or $11.16 an hour. Statewide, the Montana median for this job is $23,370, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Missoula, MT?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Missoula, MT was $11.16 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.55 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.14.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Missoula, MT?

BLS estimated 930 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 Missoula, MT?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Missoula, MT run from $21,940 at the 10th percentile to $22,150 at the 25th, $28,660 at the 75th, and $41,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Missoula, MT?

On a median gross salary of $23,210, an estimated $20,389 lands in net take-home pay per year ($784 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Montana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,821 (an effective rate of 12.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Missoula, MT?

On the median annual salary of $23,210, gross monthly income is $1,934. After federal, FICA, and Montana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,699 per month (or $784 every two weeks).

Is $23,210 a good salary in Missoula, MT?

At $23,210, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 31% of the Missoula, MT median household income ($74,989). It is 51% below the $47,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.4, so prices here run 3.6% below the U.S. average.