Tuscaloosa, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Tuscaloosa, AL?

In the Tuscaloosa, AL metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $26,930 a year ($12.95 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,650 of these jobs there. That is 40% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,750 and $35,820; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,757 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Tuscaloosa, AL at a glance

Median salary

$26,930$12.95 per hour · $2,244 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,750$8.05/hr
25th percentile$21,690$10.43/hr
75th percentile$28,840$13.87/hr
90th percentile$35,820$17.22/hr
Jobs in this metro1,650Location quotient 1.04 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here40% belowAll-jobs median $45,220
Against Alabamaabout the same asStatewide median $26,840
Against the U.S.24% 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 Tuscaloosa, AL after taxes

$26,930
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,930
Net 85%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,757After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,896Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$875Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,083 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,030 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,060 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Tuscaloosa, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$8.05/hr$1,396$16,750$14,834
25th percentile$10.43/hr$1,808$21,690$18,680
MedianMedian$12.95/hr$2,244$26,930$22,757
75th percentile$13.87/hr$2,403$28,840$24,232
90th percentile$17.22/hr$2,985$35,820$29,516

Is $26,930 a good salary in Tuscaloosa, AL?

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$61,517Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.712.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.8%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 Tuscaloosa, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area was $26,930 in May 2025, about $2,244 a month or $12.95 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $26,840, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Tuscaloosa, AL was $12.95 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.05 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.22.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS estimated 1,650 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 15.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.04 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 Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Tuscaloosa, AL run from $16,750 at the 10th percentile to $21,690 at the 25th, $28,840 at the 75th, and $35,820 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Tuscaloosa, AL?

On a median gross salary of $26,930, an estimated $22,757 lands in net take-home pay per year ($875 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,173 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Tuscaloosa, AL?

On the median annual salary of $26,930, gross monthly income is $2,244. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,896 per month (or $875 every two weeks).

Is $26,930 a good salary in Tuscaloosa, AL?

At $26,930, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 43.8% of the Tuscaloosa, AL median household income ($61,517). It is 40% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.7, so prices here run 12.3% below the U.S. average.