Waiter or waitress pay in San Luis Obispo, CA at a glance
Median salary
$34,950$16.80 per hour · $2,913 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Waiter or waitress salary in San Luis Obispo, CA after taxes
Waiters or waitresses pay range in San Luis Obispo, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, 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 | $16.50/hr | $2,860 | $34,320 | $29,401 |
| 25th percentile | $16.61/hr | $2,878 | $34,540 | $29,569 |
| MedianMedian | $16.80/hr | $2,913 | $34,950 | $29,882 |
| 75th percentile | $20.08/hr | $3,480 | $41,760 | $35,081 |
| 90th percentile | $37.88/hr | $6,567 | $78,800 | $61,182 |
Is $34,950 a good salary in San Luis Obispo, 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 Luis Obispo, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area was $34,950 in May 2025, about $2,913 a month or $16.80 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,080, so the metro pays 3% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA was $16.80 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.88.
How many waiters or waitresses work in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
BLS estimated 2,640 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 21.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.48 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,540 at the 25th, $41,760 at the 75th, and $78,800 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
On a median gross salary of $34,950, an estimated $29,882 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,149 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,068 (an effective rate of 14.5%).
How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
On the median annual salary of $34,950, gross monthly income is $2,913. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,490 per month (or $1,149 every two weeks).
Is $34,950 a good salary in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
At $34,950, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 35.9% of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA median household income ($97,446). It is 31% below the $50,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.6, so prices here run 8.6% above the U.S. average.