Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,570 a year ($17.58 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 41,900 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,900 and $65,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,211 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$36,570$17.58 per hour · $3,048 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,900$10.53/hr
25th percentile$29,440$14.15/hr
75th percentile$47,850$23.00/hr
90th percentile$65,340$31.41/hr
Jobs in this metro41,900Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware1% belowStatewide median $36,880
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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$36,570
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,570
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,211After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,518Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,162Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,208 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,353 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,798 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$10.53/hr$1,825$21,900$19,078
25th percentile$14.15/hr$2,453$29,440$24,878
MedianMedian$17.58/hr$3,048$36,570$30,211
75th percentile$23.00/hr$3,988$47,850$38,649
90th percentile$31.41/hr$5,445$65,340$51,709

Is $36,570 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.1%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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $36,570 in May 2025, about $3,048 a month or $17.58 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $36,880, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $17.58 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.53 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.41.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 41,900 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $21,900 at the 10th percentile to $29,440 at the 25th, $47,850 at the 75th, and $65,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $36,570, an estimated $30,211 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,162 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,359 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $36,570, gross monthly income is $3,048. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,518 per month (or $1,162 every two weeks).

Is $36,570 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $36,570, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 40.1% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 33% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.