Rocky Mount, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Rocky Mount, NC?

In the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,900 a year ($12.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 580 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $57,560; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,198 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Rocky Mount, NC at a glance

Median salary

$26,900$12.93 per hour · $2,242 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$17,360$8.34/hr
75th percentile$44,520$21.40/hr
90th percentile$57,560$27.68/hr
Jobs in this metro580Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $43,960
Against North Carolina16% belowStatewide median $32,150
Against the U.S.24% 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 Rocky Mount, NC after taxes

$26,900
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,900
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,198After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,933Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$892Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,080 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$565 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,058 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Rocky Mount, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,833
25th percentile$8.34/hr$1,447$17,360$15,722
MedianMedian$12.93/hr$2,242$26,900$23,198
75th percentile$21.40/hr$3,710$44,520$36,684
90th percentile$27.68/hr$4,797$57,560$46,642

Is $26,900 a good salary in Rocky Mount, 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$59,636Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.012% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.1%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 Rocky Mount, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Rocky Mount, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area was $26,900 in May 2025, about $2,242 a month or $12.93 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $32,150, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Rocky Mount, NC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Rocky Mount, NC was $12.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.68.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS estimated 580 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 10.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Rocky Mount, NC run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $17,360 at the 25th, $44,520 at the 75th, and $57,560 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Rocky Mount, NC?

On a median gross salary of $26,900, an estimated $23,198 lands in net take-home pay per year ($892 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,702 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Rocky Mount, NC?

On the median annual salary of $26,900, gross monthly income is $2,242. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,933 per month (or $892 every two weeks).

Is $26,900 a good salary in Rocky Mount, NC?

At $26,900, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 45.1% of the Rocky Mount, NC median household income ($59,636). It is 39% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.0, so prices here run 12% below the U.S. average.