Napa, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Napa, CA?

In the Napa, CA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $37,130 a year ($17.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,930 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $55,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,700 and $64,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,546 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Napa, CA at a glance

Median salary

$37,130$17.85 per hour · $3,094 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,700$16.69/hr
25th percentile$36,010$17.31/hr
75th percentile$39,560$19.02/hr
90th percentile$64,710$31.11/hr
Jobs in this metro1,930Location quotient 1.69 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $55,210
Against California3% aboveStatewide median $36,080
Against the U.S.5% 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 Napa, CA after taxes

$37,130
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,130
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,546After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,629Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,213Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,276 / yr
California state income tax$468 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,840 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Napa, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Napa, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.69/hr$2,892$34,700$29,691
25th percentile$17.31/hr$3,001$36,010$30,691
MedianMedian$17.85/hr$3,094$37,130$31,546
75th percentile$19.02/hr$3,297$39,560$33,401
90th percentile$31.11/hr$5,393$64,710$52,223

Is $37,130 a good salary in Napa, CA?

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$111,471Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)112.612.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household33.3%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 Napa, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Napa, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Napa, CA metro area was $37,130 in May 2025, about $3,094 a month or $17.85 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,080, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Napa, CA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Napa, CA was $17.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.69 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.11.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Napa, CA?

BLS estimated 1,930 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 24.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.69 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Napa, CA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Napa, CA run from $34,700 at the 10th percentile to $36,010 at the 25th, $39,560 at the 75th, and $64,710 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Napa, CA?

On a median gross salary of $37,130, an estimated $31,546 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,213 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,584 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Napa, CA?

On the median annual salary of $37,130, gross monthly income is $3,094. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,629 per month (or $1,213 every two weeks).

Is $37,130 a good salary in Napa, CA?

At $37,130, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 33.3% of the Napa, CA median household income ($111,471). It is 33% below the $55,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 112.6, so prices here run 12.6% above the U.S. average.