Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $81,630 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Portland earn between $37,150 and $72,170.
- $34K10th
- $37K25th
- $55KMedian
- $72K75th
- $82K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $56,130 | $4,678 | $26.99 |
| Median | $54,780 | $4,565 | $26.34 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,150 | $3,096 | $17.86 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $72,170 | $6,014 | $34.70 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $56,130, a single filer in Portland takes home about $43,325 a year, or $3,610 a month and $1,666 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WA | $47,280 | $3,940 |
| Working in OR | $43,325 | $3,610 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Portland a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.4), so the average $56,130 buys what about $53,244 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 1st of 8 Oregon metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
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 Portland: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Portland?
$26.99 an hour on average, and $26.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,150, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Portland?
About $43,325 a year ($3,610 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $56,130. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is 38% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
- 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). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.79, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.79).
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