Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Virginia Beach, VA?

In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $39,020 a year ($18.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 13,100 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $49,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,860 and $70,850; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,484 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Virginia Beach, VA at a glance

Median salary

$39,020$18.76 per hour · $3,252 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,860$13.39/hr
25th percentile$30,060$14.45/hr
75th percentile$48,570$23.35/hr
90th percentile$70,850$34.06/hr
Jobs in this metro13,100Location quotient 1.18 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $49,430
Against North Carolina21% aboveStatewide median $32,150
Against the U.S.11% aboveNational 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 Virginia Beach, VA after taxes

$39,020
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,020
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,484After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,707Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,249Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,502 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,048 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,985 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Virginia Beach, VA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$13.39/hr$2,322$27,860$23,950
25th percentile$14.45/hr$2,505$30,060$25,643
MedianMedian$18.76/hr$3,252$39,020$32,484
75th percentile$23.35/hr$4,048$48,570$39,777
90th percentile$34.06/hr$5,904$70,850$56,355

Is $39,020 a good salary in Virginia Beach, VA?

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$82,330Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.92.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.4%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 Virginia Beach, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area was $39,020 in May 2025, about $3,252 a month or $18.76 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $32,150, so the metro pays 21% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC was $18.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.39 an hour and one in ten earned more than $34.06.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

BLS estimated 13,100 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 17.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.18 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC run from $27,860 at the 10th percentile to $30,060 at the 25th, $48,570 at the 75th, and $70,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

On a median gross salary of $39,020, an estimated $32,484 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,249 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,536 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

On the median annual salary of $39,020, gross monthly income is $3,252. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,707 per month (or $1,249 every two weeks).

Is $39,020 a good salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

At $39,020, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 47.4% of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC median household income ($82,330). It is 21% below the $49,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.9, so prices here run 2.1% below the U.S. average.