Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL?

In the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,670 a year ($17.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,080 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $49,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,610 and $62,170; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,644 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,670$17.63 per hour · $3,056 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,610$13.27/hr
25th percentile$28,800$13.85/hr
75th percentile$47,340$22.76/hr
90th percentile$62,170$29.89/hr
Jobs in this metro5,080Location quotient 1.42 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $49,030
Against Florida1% aboveStatewide median $36,150
Against the U.S.4% aboveNational 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL after taxes

$36,670
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,670
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,644After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,637Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,217Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,220 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,805 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.27/hr$2,301$27,610$24,347
25th percentile$13.85/hr$2,400$28,800$25,321
MedianMedian$17.63/hr$3,056$36,670$31,644
75th percentile$22.76/hr$3,945$47,340$40,218
90th percentile$29.89/hr$5,181$62,170$52,134

Is $36,670 a good salary in Palm Bay-Melbourne, 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$78,476Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.0Exact national baseline
One paycheck vs. a household46.7%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 Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area was $36,670 in May 2025, about $3,056 a month or $17.63 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $36,150, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL was $17.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.89.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

BLS estimated 5,080 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 20.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.42 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL run from $27,610 at the 10th percentile to $28,800 at the 25th, $47,340 at the 75th, and $62,170 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,670, an estimated $31,644 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,217 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,026 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,670, gross monthly income is $3,056. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,637 per month (or $1,217 every two weeks).

Is $36,670 a good salary in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

At $36,670, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 46.7% of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL median household income ($78,476). It is 25% below the $49,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.0, so prices here run 0% above the U.S. average.