Waiters and Waitresses salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Arizona tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earns $47,530 a year ($22.85 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn between $34,840 and $69,610 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,850 or less and the top 10 percent earn $79,780 or more. BLS estimates 39,920 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area — 16.802 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.15 (above the national concentration). That is 1.8% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is the #11 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn about $2.13 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $44,130.90 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Waiters and Waitresses is about $1.76 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 5.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #4 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Waiters and Waitresses. By employment, Waiters and Waitresses is the #10 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $47,530 falls above the national 75th percentile of $47,110. Across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median is $51,380 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 7.5% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $25.66 | $53,370 |
| 10th percentile | $14.83 | $30,850 |
| 25th percentile | $16.75 | $34,840 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $22.85 | $47,530 |
| 75th percentile | $33.47 | $69,610 |
| 90th percentile | $38.36 | $79,780 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn 2.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($79,780 against $30,850). The middle half spans $34,770 — from $34,840 to $69,610. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($38.36) is 2.59 times the 10th ($14.83). In the upper half of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $69,610 takes home $56,463.10 and the 90th percentile wage of $79,780 takes home $63,363.34 — $6,900.24 more net for $10,170 more gross. Against the median take-home of $39,584.66, the top decile keeps 1.60 times as much. The mean wage of $53,370 sits 12.3% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Among the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #16 by median pay. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits between Office Clerks, General at $47,680 and Construction Laborers at $46,910. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.7% of all employment in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employs 1.0 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Arizona
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Arizona; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $47,530.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $3,523.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,946.86 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $689.18 |
| Arizona income tax | $785.75 |
| Total deductions | $7,945.34 |
| Net pay (annual) | $39,584.66 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,522.49 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.72% of gross |
At the median, $39,584.66 of the $47,530 gross is kept ($1,522.49 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.72%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 13.78% at the 10th percentile, 14.74% at the 25th percentile, 18.89% at the 75th percentile, 20.58% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $26,757.58 on a gross rise of $34,770.
The same engine at the other published points of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($30,850) | $26,599.26 | $1,023.05 | 13.78% |
| 25th percentile ($34,840) | $29,705.52 | $1,142.52 | 14.74% |
| Median ($47,530) | $39,584.66 | $1,522.49 | 16.72% |
| 75th percentile ($69,610) | $56,463.10 | $2,171.66 | 18.89% |
| 90th percentile ($79,780) | $63,363.34 | $2,437.05 | 20.58% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $26,599.26 a year at the 10th percentile to $63,363.34 at the 90th — a spread of $36,764.08 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median wage of $51,380 takes home $42,582.12 a year ($1,637.77 per paycheck, deduction rate 17.12%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $39,584.66 sits $2,997.46 (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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $47,530 is $12,300 (34.9%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $53,370 a year in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $13,310 (33.2%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $79,780 is 64% of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ all-occupations 90th percentile ($125,130), and its 10th percentile of $30,850 is 89% of the area-wide 10th ($34,800).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $47,530 | $22.85 | $53,370 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$47,530 a year ($22.85 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $53,370 a year. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #4 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $47,530 in Arizona?
About $39,584.66 a year ($1,522.49 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.72% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $69,610, take-home is $56,463.10.
How does pay in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $47,530 is $12,300 (34.9%) above the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $79,780, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$79,780 a year or more ($38.36 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
On $79,780 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $63,363.34 a year ($2,437.05 per biweekly paycheck) in Arizona under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 20.58%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
BLS estimates 39,920 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — 16.802 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
The location quotient is 1.15 — 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
From $26,599.26 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,850) to $63,363.34 at the 90th ($79,780), under the same single-filer assumptions in Arizona.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
About $2.13 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 39,920 multiplied by the mean wage of $53,370.
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.