SOC 35-3031 · Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Little Rock, AR

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Little Rock, Arkansas is $30,420 a year ($14.62 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $24,610: half of the 5,120 people in this job in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$30,420average per year

$14.62 / hourMedian $24,610Take-home ≈ $25,984

  • $23K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $25KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

5,120people in this job
-24%vs U.S. average
#1 of 5Arkansas metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Little Rock

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,660 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Little Rock earn between $23,630 and $34,800.

  • $23K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $25KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$30,420$2,535$14.62
Median$24,610$2,051$11.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$23,630$1,969$11.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,800$2,900$16.73

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Little Rock vs. Arkansas and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Little Rock earn 5% more than the Arkansas average ($29,050) and 24% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -30% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Little Rock$30,420$24,610$23,200$46,6605,120
Arkansas$29,050$24,680$23,040$43,81017,880
United States$40,060$35,230$18,100$64,7202,270,910

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Little Rock

On the average salary of $30,420, a single filer in Little Rock takes home about $25,984 a year, or $2,165 a month and $999 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Arkansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Little Rock a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Little Rock area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.4), so the average $30,420 buys what about $34,041 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Little Rock ($45,790). A typical home costs $231,039, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $30,420 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Arkansas cities

Little Rock ranks 1st of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).

Waiters and Waitresses salary by city

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Waiters and Waitresses salary in Little Rock: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Little Rock?

$14.62 an hour on average, and $11.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Little Rock?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $23,630, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Little Rock?

About $25,984 a year ($2,165 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,420. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Little Rock than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR (30780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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