Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Elkhart
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,580 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,750 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Elkhart earn between $20,570 and $34,780.
- $18K10th
- $21K25th
- $28KMedian
- $35K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $30,140 | $2,512 | $14.49 |
| Median | $28,060 | $2,338 | $13.49 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $20,570 | $1,714 | $9.89 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,780 | $2,898 | $16.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Elkhart
On the average salary of $30,140, a single filer in Elkhart takes home about $24,940 a year, or $2,078 a month and $959 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
Is Elkhart a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Elkhart area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.3), so the average $30,140 buys what about $33,368 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Elkhart ($48,070). A typical home costs $265,734, or 8.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Indiana cities
Elkhart ranks 9th of 12 Indiana metro areas for this job; Indianapolis pays the most ($32,300).
- Indianapolis$32,300
- South Bend$31,830
- Lafayette$31,040
- Fort Wayne$30,730
- Evansville$30,650
- Bloomington$30,630
- Michigan City$30,490
- Kokomo$30,420
- Elkhart$30,140
- Columbus$30,060
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 Elkhart: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Elkhart?
$14.49 an hour on average, and $13.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Elkhart?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,580 a year and the 25th percentile is $20,570, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Elkhart?
About $24,940 a year ($2,078 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,140. Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Elkhart than elsewhere?
The average here is 26% 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN (21140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
- 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 state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).
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