Reno, NV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Reno, NV?

In the Reno, NV metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $25,700 a year ($12.36 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,220 of these jobs there. That is 48% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,960 and $36,570; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Nevada tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,774 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Reno, NV at a glance

Median salary

$25,700$12.36 per hour · $2,142 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,960$12.00/hr
25th percentile$24,960$12.00/hr
75th percentile$28,360$13.64/hr
90th percentile$36,570$17.58/hr
Jobs in this metro4,220Location quotient 1.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here48% belowAll-jobs median $49,660
Against Nevada3% belowStatewide median $26,410
Against the U.S.27% 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 Reno, NV after taxes

$25,700
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$25,700
Net 89%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,774After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,898Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$876Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$960 / yr
Nevada state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,966 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Reno, NV, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Reno, NV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NV)
10th percentile$12.00/hr$2,080$24,960$22,165
25th percentile$12.00/hr$2,080$24,960$22,165
MedianMedian$12.36/hr$2,142$25,700$22,774
75th percentile$13.64/hr$2,363$28,360$24,964
90th percentile$17.58/hr$3,048$36,570$31,564

Is $25,700 a good salary in Reno, NV?

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$87,485Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)101.01% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household29.4%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 Reno, NV: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Reno, NV?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Reno, NV metro area was $25,700 in May 2025, about $2,142 a month or $12.36 an hour. Statewide, the Nevada median for this job is $26,410, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Reno, NV?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Reno, NV was $12.36 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.58.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Reno, NV?

BLS estimated 4,220 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 15.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Reno, NV?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Reno, NV run from $24,960 at the 10th percentile to $24,960 at the 25th, $28,360 at the 75th, and $36,570 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Reno, NV?

On a median gross salary of $25,700, an estimated $22,774 lands in net take-home pay per year ($876 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Nevada in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,926 (an effective rate of 11.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Reno, NV?

On the median annual salary of $25,700, gross monthly income is $2,142. After federal, FICA, and Nevada state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,898 per month (or $876 every two weeks).

Is $25,700 a good salary in Reno, NV?

At $25,700, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 29.4% of the Reno, NV median household income ($87,485). It is 48% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.0, so prices here run 1% above the U.S. average.