Roanoke, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Roanoke, VA?

In the Roanoke, VA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $37,380 a year ($17.97 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,220 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,750 and $59,650; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,880 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Roanoke, VA at a glance

Median salary

$37,380$17.97 per hour · $3,115 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,750$12.86/hr
25th percentile$29,400$14.13/hr
75th percentile$47,460$22.82/hr
90th percentile$59,650$28.68/hr
Jobs in this metro2,220Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $47,140
Against Virginia16% belowStatewide median $44,760
Against the U.S.6% 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 Roanoke, VA after taxes

$37,380
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,380
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,880After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,573Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,188Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,306 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,335 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,860 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Roanoke, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Roanoke, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$12.86/hr$2,229$26,750$22,915
25th percentile$14.13/hr$2,450$29,400$24,927
MedianMedian$17.97/hr$3,115$37,380$30,880
75th percentile$22.82/hr$3,955$47,460$38,399
90th percentile$28.68/hr$4,971$59,650$47,493

Is $37,380 a good salary in Roanoke, VA?

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$68,761Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.66.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.4%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 Roanoke, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Roanoke, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Roanoke, VA metro area was $37,380 in May 2025, about $3,115 a month or $17.97 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $44,760, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Roanoke, VA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Roanoke, VA was $17.97 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.68.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Roanoke, VA?

BLS estimated 2,220 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.4 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 Roanoke, VA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Roanoke, VA run from $26,750 at the 10th percentile to $29,400 at the 25th, $47,460 at the 75th, and $59,650 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Roanoke, VA?

On a median gross salary of $37,380, an estimated $30,880 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,188 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,500 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Roanoke, VA?

On the median annual salary of $37,380, gross monthly income is $3,115. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,573 per month (or $1,188 every two weeks).

Is $37,380 a good salary in Roanoke, VA?

At $37,380, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 54.4% of the Roanoke, VA median household income ($68,761). It is 21% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.6, so prices here run 6.4% below the U.S. average.