Santa Fe, NM metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Santa Fe, NM?

In the Santa Fe, NM metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $46,640 a year ($22.42 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,680 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $48,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,900 and $78,210; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Mexico tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,602 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Santa Fe, NM at a glance

Median salary

$46,640$22.42 per hour · $3,887 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,900$13.89/hr
25th percentile$31,510$15.15/hr
75th percentile$63,400$30.48/hr
90th percentile$78,210$37.60/hr
Jobs in this metro1,680Location quotient 1.87 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $48,710
Against New Mexico26% aboveStatewide median $36,920
Against the U.S.32% aboveNational 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 Santa Fe, NM after taxes

$46,640
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,640
Net 83%
Fed 7%
NM 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,602After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,217Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,485Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,417 / yr
New Mexico state income tax$1,053 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,568 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Santa Fe, NM, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Santa Fe, NM metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NM)
10th percentile$13.89/hr$2,408$28,900$25,111
25th percentile$15.15/hr$2,626$31,510$27,112
MedianMedian$22.42/hr$3,887$46,640$38,602
75th percentile$30.48/hr$5,283$63,400$51,291
90th percentile$37.60/hr$6,518$78,210$61,324

Is $46,640 a good salary in Santa Fe, NM?

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$79,071Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.81.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59%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 Santa Fe, NM: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Santa Fe, NM?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Santa Fe, NM metro area was $46,640 in May 2025, about $3,887 a month or $22.42 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $36,920, so the metro pays 26% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Santa Fe, NM?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Santa Fe, NM was $22.42 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.89 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.60.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Santa Fe, NM?

BLS estimated 1,680 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 27.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.87 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Santa Fe, NM?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Santa Fe, NM run from $28,900 at the 10th percentile to $31,510 at the 25th, $63,400 at the 75th, and $78,210 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Santa Fe, NM?

On a median gross salary of $46,640, an estimated $38,602 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,485 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,038 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Santa Fe, NM?

On the median annual salary of $46,640, gross monthly income is $3,887. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,217 per month (or $1,485 every two weeks).

Is $46,640 a good salary in Santa Fe, NM?

At $46,640, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 59% of the Santa Fe, NM median household income ($79,071). It is 4% below the $48,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.8, so prices here run 1.2% below the U.S. average.