Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Nashville-Davidson, TN?

In the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $29,390 a year ($14.13 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 19,490 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $50,390 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $50,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,795 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Nashville-Davidson, TN at a glance

Median salary

$29,390$14.13 per hour · $2,449 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$20,000$9.62/hr
75th percentile$38,490$18.50/hr
90th percentile$50,050$24.06/hr
Jobs in this metro19,490Location quotient 1.21 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $50,390
Against Tennessee6% aboveStatewide median $27,760
Against the U.S.17% 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 Nashville-Davidson, TN after taxes

$29,390
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,390
Net 88%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,795After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,150Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$992Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,347 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,248 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Nashville-Davidson, TN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,926
25th percentile$9.62/hr$1,667$20,000$18,080
MedianMedian$14.13/hr$2,449$29,390$25,795
75th percentile$18.50/hr$3,208$38,490$33,107
90th percentile$24.06/hr$4,171$50,050$42,395

Is $29,390 a good salary in Nashville-Davidson, TN?

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$85,447Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.33.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household34.4%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 Nashville-Davidson, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area was $29,390 in May 2025, about $2,449 a month or $14.13 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $27,760, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN was $14.13 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.06.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

BLS estimated 19,490 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 17.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.21 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $20,000 at the 25th, $38,490 at the 75th, and $50,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

On a median gross salary of $29,390, an estimated $25,795 lands in net take-home pay per year ($992 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,595 (an effective rate of 12.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

On the median annual salary of $29,390, gross monthly income is $2,449. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,150 per month (or $992 every two weeks).

Is $29,390 a good salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?

At $29,390, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 34.4% of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN median household income ($85,447). It is 42% below the $50,390 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.3, so prices here run 3.7% below the U.S. average.