Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

In the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,080 a year ($16.38 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,040 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,580 and $61,540; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,712 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC at a glance

Median salary

$34,080$16.38 per hour · $2,840 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,580$7.97/hr
25th percentile$21,190$10.19/hr
75th percentile$47,190$22.69/hr
90th percentile$61,540$29.59/hr
Jobs in this metro1,040Location quotient 1.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $42,920
Against North Carolina6% aboveStatewide median $32,150
Against the U.S.3% 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC after taxes

$34,080
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,080
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,712After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,393Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,104Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,910 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$851 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,607 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$7.97/hr$1,382$16,580$15,111
25th percentile$10.19/hr$1,766$21,190$18,723
MedianMedian$16.38/hr$2,840$34,080$28,712
75th percentile$22.69/hr$3,933$47,190$38,723
90th percentile$29.59/hr$5,128$61,540$49,681

Is $34,080 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

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$86,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.311.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.6%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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area was $34,080 in May 2025, about $2,840 a month or $16.38 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $32,150, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC was $16.38 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.97 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.59.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS estimated 1,040 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 24.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.66 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC run from $16,580 at the 10th percentile to $21,190 at the 25th, $47,190 at the 75th, and $61,540 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On a median gross salary of $34,080, an estimated $28,712 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,104 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,368 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On the median annual salary of $34,080, gross monthly income is $2,840. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,393 per month (or $1,104 every two weeks).

Is $34,080 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

At $34,080, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 39.6% of the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC median household income ($86,080). It is 21% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.3, so prices here run 11.7% below the U.S. average.