Waiter or waitress pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance
Median salary
$41,920$20.15 per hour · $3,493 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.95/hr | $3,112 | $37,340 | $31,706 |
| 25th percentile | $18.90/hr | $3,275 | $39,300 | $33,203 |
| MedianMedian | $20.15/hr | $3,493 | $41,920 | $35,203 |
| 75th percentile | $21.42/hr | $3,713 | $44,560 | $37,219 |
| 90th percentile | $46.99/hr | $8,144 | $97,730 | $72,739 |
Is $41,920 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.
Waiters or waitresses pay in California and across the U.S.
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.
Waiter or waitress pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $41,920 in May 2025, about $3,493 a month or $20.15 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,080, so the metro pays 16% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $20.15 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $46.99.
How many waiters or waitresses work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
BLS estimated 12,600 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 11.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.76 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $37,340 at the 10th percentile to $39,300 at the 25th, $44,560 at the 75th, and $97,730 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
On a median gross salary of $41,920, an estimated $35,203 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,354 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,717 (an effective rate of 16%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
On the median annual salary of $41,920, gross monthly income is $3,493. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,934 per month (or $1,354 every two weeks).
Is $41,920 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
At $41,920, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 25.9% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 50% below the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.