Waiters and Waitresses salary in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Florida tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area earns $35,410 a year ($17.03 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL earn between $28,410 and $47,760 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $27,040 or less and the top 10 percent earn $63,680 or more. BLS estimates 36,820 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL area — 26.078 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.79 (well above the national concentration). That is 1.6% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL is the #12 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL earn about $1.53 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $35,461.06 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Waiters and Waitresses is about $1.31 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL stands #17 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Waiters and Waitresses. By employment, Waiters and Waitresses is the #2 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL median of $35,410 falls between the national median ($35,230) and the national 75th percentile ($47,110). Across all occupations, the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL median is $46,630 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 24.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $19.91 | $41,420 |
| 10th percentile | $13.00 | $27,040 |
| 25th percentile | $13.66 | $28,410 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.03 | $35,410 |
| 75th percentile | $22.96 | $47,760 |
| 90th percentile | $30.61 | $63,680 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL earn 2.4 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($63,680 against $27,040). The middle half spans $19,350 — from $28,410 to $47,760. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($30.61) is 2.35 times the 10th ($13.00). In the upper half of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $47,760 takes home $40,555.14 and the 90th percentile wage of $63,680 takes home $53,347.08 — $12,791.94 more net for $15,920 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,631.98, the top decile keeps 1.74 times as much. The mean wage of $41,420 sits 17.0% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL. Among the 30 covered occupations in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #25 by median pay. In the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits between Security Guards at $35,500 and Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $34,590. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 2.6% of all employment in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL employs 0.9 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Florida
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Florida; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $35,410.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,069.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,195.42 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $513.45 |
| Florida income tax | $0.00 |
| Total deductions | $4,778.02 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,631.98 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,178.15 |
| Total deduction rate | 13.49% of gross |
At the median, $30,631.98 of the $35,410 gross is kept ($1,178.15 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 13.49%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 11.70% at the 10th percentile, 11.98% at the 25th percentile, 15.09% at the 75th percentile, 16.23% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $15,549.58 on a gross rise of $19,350.
The same engine at the other published points of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($27,040) | $23,877.36 | $918.36 | 11.70% |
| 25th percentile ($28,410) | $25,005.56 | $961.75 | 11.98% |
| Median ($35,410) | $30,631.98 | $1,178.15 | 13.49% |
| 75th percentile ($47,760) | $40,555.14 | $1,559.81 | 15.09% |
| 90th percentile ($63,680) | $53,347.08 | $2,051.81 | 16.23% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $23,877.36 a year at the 10th percentile to $53,347.08 at the 90th — a spread of $29,469.72 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL median wage of $46,630 takes home $39,647.18 a year ($1,524.89 per paycheck, deduction rate 14.97%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $30,631.98 sits $9,015.20 (below that area-wide figure.
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 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL median of $35,410 is $180 (0.5%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $41,420 a year in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $1,360 (3.4%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $63,680 is 60% of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL all-occupations 90th percentile ($106,490), and its 10th percentile of $27,040 is 91% of the area-wide 10th ($29,820).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $35,410 | $17.03 | $41,420 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
$35,410 a year ($17.03 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $41,420 a year. Ranked by median pay, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL stands #17 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $35,410 in Florida?
About $30,631.98 a year ($1,178.15 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 13.49% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $47,760, take-home is $40,555.14.
How does pay in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL median of $35,410 is $180 (0.5%) above the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $63,680, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
$63,680 a year or more ($30.61 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 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
On $63,680 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $53,347.08 a year ($2,051.81 per biweekly paycheck) in Florida under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 16.23%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
BLS estimates 36,820 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area — 26.078 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
The location quotient is 1.79 — well above 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 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
From $23,877.36 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($27,040) to $53,347.08 at the 90th ($63,680), under the same single-filer assumptions in Florida.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL?
About $1.53 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 36,820 multiplied by the mean wage of $41,420.
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.