Montgomery, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Montgomery, AL?

In the Montgomery, AL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,360 a year ($12.67 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,300 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $44,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,550 and $35,400; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,315 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Montgomery, AL at a glance

Median salary

$26,360$12.67 per hour · $2,197 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,550$7.96/hr
25th percentile$18,350$8.82/hr
75th percentile$28,350$13.63/hr
90th percentile$35,400$17.02/hr
Jobs in this metro2,300Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $44,950
Against Alabama2% belowStatewide median $26,840
Against the U.S.25% belowNational 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 Montgomery, AL after taxes

$26,360
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,360
Net 85%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,315After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,860Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$858Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,026 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,003 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,017 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Montgomery, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Montgomery, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$7.96/hr$1,379$16,550$14,679
25th percentile$8.82/hr$1,529$18,350$16,080
MedianMedian$12.67/hr$2,197$26,360$22,315
75th percentile$13.63/hr$2,363$28,350$23,859
90th percentile$17.02/hr$2,950$35,400$29,199

Is $26,360 a good salary in Montgomery, AL?

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$64,010Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.710.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.2%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 Montgomery, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Montgomery, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Montgomery, AL metro area was $26,360 in May 2025, about $2,197 a month or $12.67 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $26,840, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Montgomery, AL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Montgomery, AL was $12.67 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.96 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.02.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Montgomery, AL?

BLS estimated 2,300 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 Montgomery, AL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Montgomery, AL run from $16,550 at the 10th percentile to $18,350 at the 25th, $28,350 at the 75th, and $35,400 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Montgomery, AL?

On a median gross salary of $26,360, an estimated $22,315 lands in net take-home pay per year ($858 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,045 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Montgomery, AL?

On the median annual salary of $26,360, gross monthly income is $2,197. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,860 per month (or $858 every two weeks).

Is $26,360 a good salary in Montgomery, AL?

At $26,360, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 41.2% of the Montgomery, AL median household income ($64,010). It is 41% below the $44,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.7, so prices here run 10.3% below the U.S. average.