Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $53,000 a year ($25.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,410 of these jobs there. That is 14% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,330 and $92,670; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $44,766 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Olympia-Lacey, WA at a glance

Median salary

$53,000$25.48 per hour · $4,417 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,330$17.47/hr
25th percentile$45,630$21.94/hr
75th percentile$69,690$33.51/hr
90th percentile$92,670$44.55/hr
Jobs in this metro1,410Location quotient 0.74 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here14% belowAll-jobs median $61,960
Against Washington6% belowStatewide median $56,130
Against the U.S.50% 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 Olympia-Lacey, WA after taxes

$53,000
$20,000$110,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$53,000
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$44,766After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,730Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,722Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,180 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,055 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Olympia-Lacey, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$17.47/hr$3,028$36,330$31,371
25th percentile$21.94/hr$3,803$45,630$38,844
MedianMedian$25.48/hr$4,417$53,000$44,766
75th percentile$33.51/hr$5,808$69,690$57,857
90th percentile$44.55/hr$7,723$92,670$74,023

Is $53,000 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

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$96,563Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.73.7% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.9%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 Olympia-Lacey, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area was $53,000 in May 2025, about $4,417 a month or $25.48 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $56,130, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA was $25.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.47 an hour and one in ten earned more than $44.55.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS estimated 1,410 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 10.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.74 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA run from $36,330 at the 10th percentile to $45,630 at the 25th, $69,690 at the 75th, and $92,670 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On a median gross salary of $53,000, an estimated $44,766 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,722 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,235 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On the median annual salary of $53,000, gross monthly income is $4,417. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,730 per month (or $1,722 every two weeks).

Is $53,000 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

At $53,000, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 54.9% of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA median household income ($96,563). It is 14% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.7, so prices here run 3.7% above the U.S. average.