Topeka, KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Topeka, KS?

In the Topeka, KS metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $35,090 a year ($16.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,330 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $49,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,250 and $62,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,214 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Topeka, KS at a glance

Median salary

$35,090$16.87 per hour · $2,924 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,250$8.29/hr
25th percentile$27,440$13.19/hr
75th percentile$47,540$22.86/hr
90th percentile$62,690$30.14/hr
Jobs in this metro1,330Location quotient 0.79 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $49,540
Against Kansas3% belowStatewide median $36,120
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Topeka, KS after taxes

$35,090
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,090
Net 83%
Fed 6%
KS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,214After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,434Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,124Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,031 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,161 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,684 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Topeka, KS, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Topeka, KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$8.29/hr$1,438$17,250$15,582
25th percentile$13.19/hr$2,287$27,440$23,444
MedianMedian$16.87/hr$2,924$35,090$29,214
75th percentile$22.86/hr$3,962$47,540$38,525
90th percentile$30.14/hr$5,224$62,690$49,853

Is $35,090 a good salary in Topeka, KS?

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$69,888Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.811.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.2%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 Topeka, KS: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Topeka, KS?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Topeka, KS metro area was $35,090 in May 2025, about $2,924 a month or $16.87 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $36,120, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Topeka, KS?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Topeka, KS was $16.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.29 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.14.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Topeka, KS?

BLS estimated 1,330 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 11.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.79 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Topeka, KS?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Topeka, KS run from $17,250 at the 10th percentile to $27,440 at the 25th, $47,540 at the 75th, and $62,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Topeka, KS?

On a median gross salary of $35,090, an estimated $29,214 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,124 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,876 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Topeka, KS?

On the median annual salary of $35,090, gross monthly income is $2,924. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,434 per month (or $1,124 every two weeks).

Is $35,090 a good salary in Topeka, KS?

At $35,090, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 50.2% of the Topeka, KS median household income ($69,888). It is 29% below the $49,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.8, so prices here run 11.2% below the U.S. average.