Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Atlanta
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,800 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Atlanta earn between $15,080 and $36,760.
- $15K10th
- $15K25th
- $18KMedian
- $37K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $26,870 | $2,239 | $12.92 |
| Median | $18,460 | $1,538 | $8.88 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $15,080 | $1,257 | $7.25 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,760 | $3,063 | $17.67 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Atlanta
On the average salary of $26,870, a single filer in Atlanta takes home about $23,145 a year, or $1,929 a month and $890 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Atlanta a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Atlanta area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.1), so the average $26,870 buys what about $26,854 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Atlanta ($51,170). A typical home costs $382,938, or 14.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Georgia cities
Atlanta ranks 3rd of 14 Georgia metro areas for this job; Savannah pays the most ($29,060).
- Savannah$29,060
- Athens$26,880
- Atlanta$26,870
- Warner Robins$26,300
- Augusta$26,090
- Brunswick$25,830
- Hinesville$25,790
- Columbus$25,590
- Rome$25,270
- Macon$25,100
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 Atlanta: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Atlanta?
$12.92 an hour on average, and $8.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Atlanta?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $15,080, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Atlanta?
About $23,145 a year ($1,929 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,870.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Atlanta than elsewhere?
The average here is 34% 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (12060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.6%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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