Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,290 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Houston earn between $17,870 and $37,390.
- $17K10th
- $18K25th
- $22KMedian
- $37K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $29,180 | $2,432 | $14.03 |
| Median | $22,080 | $1,840 | $10.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $17,870 | $1,489 | $8.59 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,390 | $3,116 | $17.98 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $29,180, a single filer in Houston takes home about $25,626 a year, or $2,136 a month and $986 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.
Is Houston a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $29,180 buys what about $29,586 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 10.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 7th of 25 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($32,970).
- Austin$32,970
- San Antonio$31,400
- Dallas$30,530
- Midland$30,360
- Odessa$29,790
- Waco$29,240
- Houston$29,180
- Sherman$28,980
- Corpus Christi$28,720
- College Station$28,600
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 Houston: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Houston?
$14.03 an hour on average, and $10.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $17,870, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Houston?
About $25,626 a year ($2,136 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,180. Texas has no state income tax.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Houston than elsewhere?
The average here is 28% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.6%.
- 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 1.07, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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