New Haven, CT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in New Haven, CT?

In the New Haven, CT metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $37,900 a year ($18.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,290 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $60,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,010 and $63,420; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Connecticut tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,606 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in New Haven, CT at a glance

Median salary

$37,900$18.22 per hour · $3,158 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,010$16.35/hr
25th percentile$35,540$17.09/hr
75th percentile$48,410$23.27/hr
90th percentile$63,420$30.49/hr
Jobs in this metro3,290Location quotient 0.80 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $60,060
Against Connecticutabout the same asStatewide median $37,770
Against the U.S.8% 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 New Haven, CT after taxes

$37,900
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,900
Net 83%
Fed 6%
CT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,606After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,634Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,216Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,368 / yr
Connecticut state income tax$1,026 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,899 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in New Haven, CT, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the New Haven, CT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CT)
10th percentile$16.35/hr$2,834$34,010$28,760
25th percentile$17.09/hr$2,962$35,540$29,887
MedianMedian$18.22/hr$3,158$37,900$31,606
75th percentile$23.27/hr$4,034$48,410$39,342
90th percentile$30.49/hr$5,285$63,420$50,434

Is $37,900 a good salary in New Haven, CT?

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$88,197Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.64.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household43%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 New Haven, CT: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in New Haven, CT?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the New Haven, CT metro area was $37,900 in May 2025, about $3,158 a month or $18.22 an hour. Statewide, the Connecticut median for this job is $37,770, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in New Haven, CT?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in New Haven, CT was $18.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.35 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.49.

How many waiters or waitresses work in New Haven, CT?

BLS estimated 3,290 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 11.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.80 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in New Haven, CT?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in New Haven, CT run from $34,010 at the 10th percentile to $35,540 at the 25th, $48,410 at the 75th, and $63,420 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in New Haven, CT?

On a median gross salary of $37,900, an estimated $31,606 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,216 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Connecticut in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,294 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in New Haven, CT?

On the median annual salary of $37,900, gross monthly income is $3,158. After federal, FICA, and Connecticut state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,634 per month (or $1,216 every two weeks).

Is $37,900 a good salary in New Haven, CT?

At $37,900, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 43% of the New Haven, CT median household income ($88,197). It is 37% below the $60,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.6, so prices here run 4.6% above the U.S. average.