SOC 35-3031 · Johnson City, TN metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Johnson City, TN

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Johnson City, Tennessee is $26,260 a year ($12.62 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $22,070: half of the 1,460 people in this job in the Johnson City, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 35% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,608).

$26,260average per year

$12.62 / hourMedian $22,070Take-home ≈ $23,235

  • $15K10th
  • $15K25th
  • $22KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,460people in this job
-35%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 10Tennessee metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Johnson City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,180 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Johnson City earn between $15,080 and $35,840.

  • $15K10th
  • $15K25th
  • $22KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,260$2,188$12.62
Median$22,070$1,839$10.61
Entry level (25th percentile)$15,080$1,257$7.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$35,840$2,987$17.23

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

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Johnson City

On the average salary of $26,260, a single filer in Johnson City takes home about $23,235 a year, or $1,936 a month and $894 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Johnson City area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.9), so the average $26,260 buys what about $29,865 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Johnson City ($43,480). A typical home costs $282,532, or 10.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,260 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Tennessee cities

Johnson City ranks 8th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($31,580).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Tennessee

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 Johnson City, TN.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Johnson City: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Johnson City?

$12.62 an hour on average, and $10.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

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 Johnson City?

About $23,235 a year ($1,936 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,260. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Johnson City than elsewhere?

The average here is 35% 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 Johnson City, TN (27740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.22, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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