Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Tampa
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $72,180 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Tampa earn between $28,860 and $49,430.
- $27K10th
- $29K25th
- $37KMedian
- $49K75th
- $72K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $44,090 | $3,674 | $21.20 |
| Median | $37,070 | $3,089 | $17.82 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,860 | $2,405 | $13.88 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $49,430 | $4,119 | $23.76 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Tampa
On the average salary of $44,090, a single filer in Tampa takes home about $37,606 a year, or $3,134 a month and $1,446 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Tampa a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Tampa area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $44,090 buys what about $43,701 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Tampa ($48,940). A typical home costs $360,738, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Florida cities
Tampa ranks 2nd of 22 Florida metro areas for this job; Naples pays the most ($44,610).
- Naples$44,610
- Tampa$44,090
- Crestview$43,640
- Wildwood$42,850
- Jacksonville$42,480
- Fort Myers$42,470
- Punta Gorda$42,270
- Sarasota$42,190
- Orlando$41,420
- Port St. Lucie$41,310
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 Tampa: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Tampa?
$21.20 an hour on average, and $17.82 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Tampa?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,860, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Tampa?
About $37,606 a year ($3,134 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,090. Florida has no state income tax.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Tampa than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (45300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.20, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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