Waiters and Waitresses salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Minnesota tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area earns $25,920 a year ($12.46 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI earn between $23,650 and $33,120 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $23,260 or less and the top 10 percent earn $43,280 or more. BLS estimates 25,620 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area — 13.126 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.9 (below the national concentration). That is 1.1% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI is the #16 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI earn about $0.80 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $26,473.36 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Waiters and Waitresses is about $0.68 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 5.9% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI stands #22 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Waiters and Waitresses. By employment, Waiters and Waitresses is the #14 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median of $25,920 falls below the national 25th percentile of $27,750. Across all occupations, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median is $59,320 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 56.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $15.05 | $31,300 |
| 10th percentile | $11.18 | $23,260 |
| 25th percentile | $11.37 | $23,650 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $12.46 | $25,920 |
| 75th percentile | $15.92 | $33,120 |
| 90th percentile | $20.81 | $43,280 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI earn 1.9 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($43,280 against $23,260). The middle half spans $9,470 — from $23,650 to $33,120. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($20.81) is 1.86 times the 10th ($11.18). In the upper half of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $33,120 takes home $27,838.36 and the 90th percentile wage of $43,280 takes home $35,458.42 — $7,620.06 more net for $10,160 more gross. Against the median take-home of $22,386.86, the top decile keeps 1.58 times as much. The mean wage of $31,300 sits 20.8% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Among the 30 covered occupations in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #30 by median pay. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits just below Fast Food and Counter Workers at $33,040. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.3% of all employment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Minnesota
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Minnesota; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $25,920.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $982.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $1,607.04 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $375.84 |
| Minnesota income tax | $568.17 |
| Total deductions | $3,533.14 |
| Net pay (annual) | $22,386.86 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $861.03 |
| Total deduction rate | 13.63% of gross |
At the median, $22,386.86 of the $25,920 gross is kept ($861.03 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 13.63%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 12.56% at the 10th percentile, 12.73% at the 25th percentile, 15.95% at the 75th percentile, 18.07% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $7,199.42 on a gross rise of $9,470.
The same engine at the other published points of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($23,260) | $20,338.64 | $782.26 | 12.56% |
| 25th percentile ($23,650) | $20,638.94 | $793.81 | 12.73% |
| Median ($25,920) | $22,386.86 | $861.03 | 13.63% |
| 75th percentile ($33,120) | $27,838.36 | $1,070.71 | 15.95% |
| 90th percentile ($43,280) | $35,458.42 | $1,363.79 | 18.07% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $20,338.64 a year at the 10th percentile to $35,458.42 at the 90th — a spread of $15,119.78 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median wage of $59,320 takes home $47,333.22 a year ($1,820.51 per paycheck, deduction rate 20.21%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $22,386.86 sits $24,946.36 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI also covers parts of Wisconsin. The take-home estimate above uses Minnesota rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Wisconsin paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Waiters and Waitresses earns $35,230 a year ($16.94 an hour). The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median of $25,920 is $9,310 (26.4%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $31,300 a year in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $8,760 (21.9%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $43,280 is 33% of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI all-occupations 90th percentile ($131,060), and its 10th percentile of $23,260 is 67% of the area-wide 10th ($34,940).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $25,920 | $12.46 | $31,300 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
$25,920 a year ($12.46 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $31,300 a year. Ranked by median pay, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI stands #22 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $25,920 in Minnesota?
About $22,386.86 a year ($861.03 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 13.63% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $33,120, take-home is $27,838.36.
How does pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median of $25,920 is $9,310 (26.4%) below the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $43,280, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
$43,280 a year or more ($20.81 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
On $43,280 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $35,458.42 a year ($1,363.79 per biweekly paycheck) in Minnesota under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.07%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
BLS estimates 25,620 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area — 13.126 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
The location quotient is 0.9 — below the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
From $20,338.64 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($23,260) to $35,458.42 at the 90th ($43,280), under the same single-filer assumptions in Minnesota.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
About $0.80 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 25,620 multiplied by the mean wage of $31,300.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.