Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Cape Girardeau
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,520 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Cape Girardeau earn between $28,600 and $37,290.
- $29K10th
- $29K25th
- $29KMedian
- $37K75th
- $61K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,880 | $3,073 | $17.73 |
| Median | $28,710 | $2,392 | $13.80 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,600 | $2,383 | $13.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,290 | $3,108 | $17.93 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau
On the average salary of $36,880, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $31,017 a year, or $2,585 a month and $1,193 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in MO | $31,017 | $2,585 |
| Working in IL | $30,129 | $2,511 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is Cape Girardeau a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $36,880 buys what about $42,845 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Missouri cities
Cape Girardeau ranks 6th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; Kansas City pays the most ($40,660).
- Kansas City$40,660
- St. Louis$39,070
- St. Joseph$37,510
- Springfield$37,120
- Columbia$36,910
- Cape Girardeau$36,880
- Joplin$36,810
- Jefferson City$36,260
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
Does this match what you are paid?
Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.
Share your pay anonymously
Waiters and Waitresses salary in Cape Girardeau: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Cape Girardeau?
$17.73 an hour on average, and $13.81 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Cape Girardeau?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Cape Girardeau?
About $31,017 a year ($2,585 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,880. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% 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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- 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). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.26, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.