Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

In the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,890 a year ($17.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,940 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,010 and $60,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Connecticut tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,876 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Waterbury-Shelton, CT at a glance

Median salary

$36,890$17.74 per hour · $3,074 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,010$16.35/hr
25th percentile$34,010$16.35/hr
75th percentile$45,530$21.89/hr
90th percentile$60,510$29.09/hr
Jobs in this metro1,940Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $51,440
Against Connecticut2% belowStatewide median $37,770
Against the U.S.5% 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT after taxes

$36,890
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,890
Net 84%
Fed 6%
CT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,876After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,573Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,188Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,247 / yr
Connecticut state income tax$945 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,822 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Waterbury-Shelton, CT, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CT)
10th percentile$16.35/hr$2,834$34,010$28,760
25th percentile$16.35/hr$2,834$34,010$28,760
MedianMedian$17.74/hr$3,074$36,890$30,876
75th percentile$21.89/hr$3,794$45,530$37,144
90th percentile$29.09/hr$5,043$60,510$48,405

Is $36,890 a good salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

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$86,191Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.80.2% 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area was $36,890 in May 2025, about $3,074 a month or $17.74 an hour. Statewide, the Connecticut median for this job is $37,770, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Waterbury-Shelton, CT was $17.74 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.35 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.09.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

BLS estimated 1,940 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 12.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Waterbury-Shelton, CT run from $34,010 at the 10th percentile to $34,010 at the 25th, $45,530 at the 75th, and $60,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

On a median gross salary of $36,890, an estimated $30,876 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,188 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Connecticut in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,014 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

On the median annual salary of $36,890, gross monthly income is $3,074. After federal, FICA, and Connecticut state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,573 per month (or $1,188 every two weeks).

Is $36,890 a good salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

At $36,890, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 42.8% of the Waterbury-Shelton, CT median household income ($86,191). It is 28% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.8, so prices here run 0.2% below the U.S. average.