Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,990 a year ($16.82 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,520 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $45,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,040 and $60,520; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,294 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Panama City, FL at a glance

Median salary

$34,990$16.82 per hour · $2,916 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,040$13.00/hr
25th percentile$27,910$13.42/hr
75th percentile$46,070$22.15/hr
90th percentile$60,520$29.09/hr
Jobs in this metro2,520Location quotient 1.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $45,030
Against Florida3% belowStatewide median $36,150
Against the U.S.1% belowNational 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 Panama City, FL after taxes

$34,990
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,990
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,294After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,525Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,165Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,019 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,677 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Panama City, FL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.00/hr$2,253$27,040$23,877
25th percentile$13.42/hr$2,326$27,910$24,594
MedianMedian$16.82/hr$2,916$34,990$30,294
75th percentile$22.15/hr$3,839$46,070$39,197
90th percentile$29.09/hr$5,043$60,520$50,808

Is $34,990 a good salary in Panama City, 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$71,514Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.9%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 Panama City, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area was $34,990 in May 2025, about $2,916 a month or $16.82 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 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL was $16.82 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.09.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

BLS estimated 2,520 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 27.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.90 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL run from $27,040 at the 10th percentile to $27,910 at the 25th, $46,070 at the 75th, and $60,520 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

On a median gross salary of $34,990, an estimated $30,294 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,165 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,696 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

On the median annual salary of $34,990, gross monthly income is $2,916. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,525 per month (or $1,165 every two weeks).

Is $34,990 a good salary in Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL?

At $34,990, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 48.9% of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL median household income ($71,514). It is 22% below the $45,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.