Worcester, MA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Worcester, MA?

In the Worcester, MA metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $36,840 a year ($17.71 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,610 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $57,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $59,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,259 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Worcester, MA at a glance

Median salary

$36,840$17.71 per hour · $3,070 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$33,900$16.30/hr
75th percentile$43,930$21.12/hr
90th percentile$59,720$28.71/hr
Jobs in this metro4,610Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $57,830
Against Massachusetts4% belowStatewide median $38,460
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational median $35,230

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Waiter or waitress salary in Worcester, MA after taxes

$36,840
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,840
Net 82%
Fed 6%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,259After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,522Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,164Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,241 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$1,522 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,818 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Worcester, MA, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Worcester, MA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,009
25th percentile$16.30/hr$2,825$33,900$28,044
MedianMedian$17.71/hr$3,070$36,840$30,259
75th percentile$21.12/hr$3,661$43,930$35,601
90th percentile$28.71/hr$4,977$59,720$47,499

Is $36,840 a good salary in Worcester, MA?

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$95,939Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.52.5% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.4%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 Worcester, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Worcester, MA?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Worcester, MA metro area was $36,840 in May 2025, about $3,070 a month or $17.71 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $38,460, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Worcester, MA?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Worcester, MA was $17.71 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.71.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Worcester, MA?

BLS estimated 4,610 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 13.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Worcester, MA?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Worcester, MA run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $33,900 at the 25th, $43,930 at the 75th, and $59,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Worcester, MA?

On a median gross salary of $36,840, an estimated $30,259 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,164 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,581 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Worcester, MA?

On the median annual salary of $36,840, gross monthly income is $3,070. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,522 per month (or $1,164 every two weeks).

Is $36,840 a good salary in Worcester, MA?

At $36,840, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 38.4% of the Worcester, MA median household income ($95,939). It is 36% below the $57,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.5, so prices here run 2.5% above the U.S. average.