Waiters and Waitresses pay range in El Centro
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,960 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in El Centro earn between $34,320 and $34,410.
- $34K10th
- $34K25th
- $34KMedian
- $34K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $39,160 | $3,263 | $18.83 |
| Median | $34,320 | $2,860 | $16.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $34,320 | $2,860 | $16.50 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,410 | $2,868 | $16.54 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in El Centro
On the average salary of $39,160, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $32,943 a year, or $2,745 a month and $1,267 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is El Centro a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $39,160 buys what about $41,146 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 9.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other California cities
El Centro ranks 22nd of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($52,010).
- San Jose$52,010
- San Diego$47,700
- San Francisco$46,460
- Salinas$45,820
- Riverside$45,660
- San Luis Obispo$45,180
- Napa$45,100
- Santa Cruz$45,020
- Sacramento$44,840
- El Centro$39,160
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 El Centro: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in El Centro?
$18.83 an hour on average, and $16.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in El Centro?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,320, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in El Centro?
About $32,943 a year ($2,745 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,160. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.50, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.50).
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