South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN?

In the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $28,740 a year ($13.82 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,970 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $46,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,480 and $49,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,454 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN at a glance

Median salary

$28,740$13.82 per hour · $2,395 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,480$8.41/hr
25th percentile$21,470$10.32/hr
75th percentile$37,070$17.82/hr
90th percentile$49,190$23.65/hr
Jobs in this metro1,970Location quotient 1.02 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $46,540
Against Indiana1% aboveStatewide median $28,480
Against the U.S.18% belowNational 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 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN after taxes

$28,740
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,740
Net 85%
Fed 4%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,454After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,038Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$941Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,269 / yr
Indiana state income tax$818 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,199 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$8.41/hr$1,457$17,480$15,519
25th percentile$10.32/hr$1,789$21,470$18,687
MedianMedian$13.82/hr$2,395$28,740$24,454
75th percentile$17.82/hr$3,089$37,070$30,902
90th percentile$23.65/hr$4,099$49,190$40,283

Is $28,740 a good salary in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN?

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$67,217Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.97.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.8%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 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area was $28,740 in May 2025, about $2,395 a month or $13.82 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,480, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI was $13.82 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.41 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.65.

How many waiters or waitresses work in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

BLS estimated 1,970 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 14.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.02 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI run from $17,480 at the 10th percentile to $21,470 at the 25th, $37,070 at the 75th, and $49,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

On a median gross salary of $28,740, an estimated $24,454 lands in net take-home pay per year ($941 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,286 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

On the median annual salary of $28,740, gross monthly income is $2,395. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,038 per month (or $941 every two weeks).

Is $28,740 a good salary in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?

At $28,740, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 42.8% of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI median household income ($67,217). It is 38% below the $46,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.9, so prices here run 7.1% below the U.S. average.