SOC 35-3031 · Jacksonville, NC metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Jacksonville, NC

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Jacksonville, North Carolina is $34,230 a year ($16.46 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,870: half of the 1,140 people in this job in the Jacksonville, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$34,230average per year

$16.46 / hourMedian $28,870Take-home ≈ $28,827

  • $15K10th
  • $18K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,140people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#12 of 15North Carolina metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Jacksonville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $57,360 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Jacksonville earn between $17,620 and $46,440.

  • $15K10th
  • $18K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$34,230$2,852$16.46
Median$28,870$2,406$13.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$17,620$1,468$8.47
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,440$3,870$22.33

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Jacksonville vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Jacksonville earn 10% less than the North Carolina average ($37,850) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -18% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Jacksonville$34,230$28,870$15,480$57,3601,140
North Carolina$37,850$32,150$17,140$62,67071,940
United States$40,060$35,230$18,100$64,7202,270,910

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Jacksonville

On the average salary of $34,230, a single filer in Jacksonville takes home about $28,827 a year, or $2,402 a month and $1,109 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 (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

Is Jacksonville a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Jacksonville area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.1), so the average $34,230 buys what about $37,172 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Jacksonville ($40,230). A typical home costs $293,312, or 8.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $34,230 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other North Carolina cities

Jacksonville ranks 12th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($40,850).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).

Waiters and Waitresses salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Waiters and Waitresses in Jacksonville, NC.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Jacksonville: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Jacksonville?

$16.46 an hour on average, and $13.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Jacksonville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $17,620, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Jacksonville?

About $28,827 a year ($2,402 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $34,230.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Jacksonville than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

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 Jacksonville, NC (27340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.49, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.