Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Birmingham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,840 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,540 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Birmingham earn between $21,160 and $29,810.
- $17K10th
- $21K25th
- $28KMedian
- $30K75th
- $37K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $27,870 | $2,322 | $13.40 |
| Median | $27,670 | $2,306 | $13.30 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $21,160 | $1,763 | $10.17 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $29,810 | $2,484 | $14.33 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Birmingham
On the average salary of $27,870, a single filer in Birmingham takes home about $23,486 a year, or $1,957 a month and $903 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
Is Birmingham a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Birmingham area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.6), so the average $27,870 buys what about $30,411 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Birmingham ($47,770). A typical home costs $262,556, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Alabama cities
Birmingham ranks 4th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Daphne pays the most ($28,580).
- Daphne$28,580
- Huntsville$28,330
- Tuscaloosa$28,240
- Birmingham$27,870
- Mobile$27,680
- Auburn$26,860
- Florence$26,350
- Decatur$26,240
- Montgomery$26,200
- Anniston$25,580
Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).
- Kahului, HI$87,210
- Seattle, WA$62,940
- Honolulu, HI$61,880
- Bremerton, WA$61,770
- Burlington, VT$61,070
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Waiters and Waitresses salary in Birmingham: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Birmingham?
$13.40 an hour on average, and $13.31 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Birmingham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,840 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,160, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Birmingham?
About $23,486 a year ($1,957 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,870. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Birmingham than elsewhere?
The average here is 31% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,608).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3031; area Birmingham, AL (13820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.2%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.92, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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