Ocala, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Ocala, FL?

In the Ocala, FL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,890 a year ($16.78 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,110 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $43,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,040 and $60,360; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,214 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Ocala, FL at a glance

Median salary

$34,890$16.78 per hour · $2,908 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,040$13.00/hr
25th percentile$27,730$13.33/hr
75th percentile$45,980$22.11/hr
90th percentile$60,360$29.02/hr
Jobs in this metro2,110Location quotient 1.20 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $43,990
Against Florida3% belowStatewide median $36,150
Against the U.S.1% 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 Ocala, FL after taxes

$34,890
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,890
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,214After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,518Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,162Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,007 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,669 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Ocala, FL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Ocala, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.00/hr$2,253$27,040$23,877
25th percentile$13.33/hr$2,311$27,730$24,446
MedianMedian$16.78/hr$2,908$34,890$30,214
75th percentile$22.11/hr$3,832$45,980$39,125
90th percentile$29.02/hr$5,030$60,360$50,679

Is $34,890 a good salary in Ocala, FL?

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$61,010Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.24.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57.2%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 Ocala, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Ocala, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Ocala, FL metro area was $34,890 in May 2025, about $2,908 a month or $16.78 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $36,150, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Ocala, FL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Ocala, FL was $16.78 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.02.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Ocala, FL?

BLS estimated 2,110 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 17.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.20 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Ocala, FL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Ocala, FL run from $27,040 at the 10th percentile to $27,730 at the 25th, $45,980 at the 75th, and $60,360 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Ocala, FL?

On a median gross salary of $34,890, an estimated $30,214 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,162 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,676 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Ocala, FL?

On the median annual salary of $34,890, gross monthly income is $2,908. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,518 per month (or $1,162 every two weeks).

Is $34,890 a good salary in Ocala, FL?

At $34,890, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 57.2% of the Ocala, FL median household income ($61,010). It is 21% below the $43,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.2, so prices here run 4.8% below the U.S. average.