Punta Gorda, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Punta Gorda, FL?

In the Punta Gorda, FL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,360 a year ($17.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,780 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $45,500 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,180 and $64,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,395 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Punta Gorda, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,360$17.48 per hour · $3,030 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,180$13.07/hr
25th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
75th percentile$47,030$22.61/hr
90th percentile$64,050$30.80/hr
Jobs in this metro1,780Location quotient 2.12 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $45,500
Against Florida1% aboveStatewide median $36,150
Against the U.S.3% 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 Punta Gorda, FL after taxes

$36,360
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,360
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,395After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,616Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,208Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,183 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,782 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Punta Gorda, FL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Punta Gorda, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.07/hr$2,265$27,180$23,993
25th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$25,160
MedianMedian$17.48/hr$3,030$36,360$31,395
75th percentile$22.61/hr$3,919$47,030$39,969
90th percentile$30.80/hr$5,338$64,050$53,644

Is $36,360 a good salary in Punta Gorda, 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$69,952Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.50.5% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household52%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 Punta Gorda, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Punta Gorda, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Punta Gorda, FL metro area was $36,360 in May 2025, about $3,030 a month or $17.48 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 Punta Gorda, FL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Punta Gorda, FL was $17.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.07 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.80.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Punta Gorda, FL?

BLS estimated 1,780 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 30.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.12 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Punta Gorda, FL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Punta Gorda, FL run from $27,180 at the 10th percentile to $28,600 at the 25th, $47,030 at the 75th, and $64,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Punta Gorda, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,360, an estimated $31,395 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,208 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,965 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Punta Gorda, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,360, gross monthly income is $3,030. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,616 per month (or $1,208 every two weeks).

Is $36,360 a good salary in Punta Gorda, FL?

At $36,360, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 52% of the Punta Gorda, FL median household income ($69,952). It is 20% below the $45,500 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.5, so prices here run 0.5% above the U.S. average.