Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Sioux City, IA?

In the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,430 a year ($12.71 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,030 of these jobs there. That is 44% below the $47,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $49,790; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,023 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Sioux City, IA at a glance

Median salary

$26,430$12.71 per hour · $2,203 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$15,560$7.48/hr
75th percentile$36,530$17.56/hr
90th percentile$49,790$23.94/hr
Jobs in this metro1,030Location quotient 0.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here44% belowAll-jobs median $47,030
Against Iowa26% aboveStatewide median $21,000
Against the U.S.25% 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 Sioux City, IA after taxes

$26,430
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,430
Net 87%
Fed 4%
IA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,023After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,919Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$885Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,033 / yr
Iowa state income tax$353 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,022 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Sioux City, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,926
25th percentile$7.48/hr$1,297$15,560$14,370
MedianMedian$12.71/hr$2,203$26,430$23,023
75th percentile$17.56/hr$3,044$36,530$30,796
90th percentile$23.94/hr$4,149$49,790$40,946

Is $26,430 a good salary in Sioux City, IA?

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$75,192Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.513.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household35.2%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 Sioux City, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area was $26,430 in May 2025, about $2,203 a month or $12.71 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $21,000, so the metro pays 26% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD was $12.71 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.94.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

BLS estimated 1,030 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.94 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $15,560 at the 25th, $36,530 at the 75th, and $49,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

On a median gross salary of $26,430, an estimated $23,023 lands in net take-home pay per year ($885 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,407 (an effective rate of 12.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

On the median annual salary of $26,430, gross monthly income is $2,203. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,919 per month (or $885 every two weeks).

Is $26,430 a good salary in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

At $26,430, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 35.2% of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD median household income ($75,192). It is 44% below the $47,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.5, so prices here run 13.5% below the U.S. average.