Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

In the Stockton-Lodi, CA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $34,460 a year ($16.57 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,330 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $48,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,320 and $64,120; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,508 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Stockton-Lodi, CA at a glance

Median salary

$34,460$16.57 per hour · $2,872 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
25th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
75th percentile$35,720$17.17/hr
90th percentile$64,120$30.83/hr
Jobs in this metro2,330Location quotient 0.55 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $48,990
Against California4% belowStatewide median $36,080
Against the U.S.2% 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 Stockton-Lodi, CA after taxes

$34,460
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,460
Net 86%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,508After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,459Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,135Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,955 / yr
California state income tax$361 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,636 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Stockton-Lodi, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Stockton-Lodi, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
25th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
MedianMedian$16.57/hr$2,872$34,460$29,508
75th percentile$17.17/hr$2,977$35,720$30,470
90th percentile$30.83/hr$5,343$64,120$51,796

Is $34,460 a good salary in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

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$92,179Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.15.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.4%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 Stockton-Lodi, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area was $34,460 in May 2025, about $2,872 a month or $16.57 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,080, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Stockton-Lodi, CA was $16.57 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.83.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

BLS estimated 2,330 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 8.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.55 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Stockton-Lodi, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,320 at the 25th, $35,720 at the 75th, and $64,120 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

On a median gross salary of $34,460, an estimated $29,508 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,135 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,952 (an effective rate of 14.4%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

On the median annual salary of $34,460, gross monthly income is $2,872. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,459 per month (or $1,135 every two weeks).

Is $34,460 a good salary in Stockton-Lodi, CA?

At $34,460, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 37.4% of the Stockton-Lodi, CA median household income ($92,179). It is 30% below the $48,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.1, so prices here run 5.1% above the U.S. average.