Waiters and Waitresses salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Washington tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earns $57,280 a year ($27.54 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA earn between $46,460 and $77,690 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $36,730 or less and the top 10 percent earn $95,940 or more. BLS estimates 26,530 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area — 12.719 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.87 (below the national concentration). That is 1.2% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is the #15 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA earn about $1.67 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $52,387.12 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Waiters and Waitresses is about $1.39 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 6.6% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA stands #1 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median of $57,280 falls above the national 75th percentile of $47,110. Across all occupations, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median is $72,610 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 21.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $30.26 | $62,940 |
| 10th percentile | $17.66 | $36,730 |
| 25th percentile | $22.34 | $46,460 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $27.54 | $57,280 |
| 75th percentile | $37.35 | $77,690 |
| 90th percentile | $46.13 | $95,940 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA earn 2.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($95,940 against $36,730). The middle half spans $31,230 — from $46,460 to $77,690. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($46.13) is 2.61 times the 10th ($17.66). In the upper half of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $77,690 takes home $63,034.32 and the 90th percentile wage of $95,940 takes home $75,767.38 — $12,733.06 more net for $18,250 more gross. Against the median take-home of $47,872.42, the top decile keeps 1.58 times as much. The mean wage of $62,940 sits 9.9% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Among the 30 covered occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #17 by median pay. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits between Construction Laborers at $59,740 and Customer Service Representatives at $53,550. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.3% of all employment in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA employs 0.7 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Washington
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Washington; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $57,280.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $4,693.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $3,551.36 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $830.56 |
| Washington income tax | $0.00 |
| WA Cares Fund (long-term care premium) | $332.22 |
| Total deductions | $9,407.58 |
| Net pay (annual) | $47,872.42 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,841.25 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.42% of gross |
At the median, $47,872.42 of the $57,280 gross is kept ($1,841.25 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.42%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.29% at the 10th percentile, 15.54% at the 25th percentile, 18.86% at the 75th percentile, 21.03% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $23,792.96 on a gross rise of $31,230.
The same engine at the other published points of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($36,730) | $31,479.56 | $1,210.75 | 14.29% |
| 25th percentile ($46,460) | $39,241.36 | $1,509.28 | 15.54% |
| Median ($57,280) | $47,872.42 | $1,841.25 | 16.42% |
| 75th percentile ($77,690) | $63,034.32 | $2,424.40 | 18.86% |
| 90th percentile ($95,940) | $75,767.38 | $2,914.13 | 21.03% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $31,479.56 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,767.38 at the 90th — a spread of $44,287.82 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median wage of $72,610 takes home $59,489.88 a year ($2,288.07 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.07%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $47,872.42 sits $11,617.46 (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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median of $57,280 is $22,050 (62.6%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $62,940 a year in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $22,880 (57.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $95,940 is 57% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA all-occupations 90th percentile ($167,440), and its 10th percentile of $36,730 is 87% of the area-wide 10th ($42,280).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57,280 | $27.54 | $62,940 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
$57,280 a year ($27.54 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $62,940 a year. Ranked by median pay, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA stands #1 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $57,280 in Washington?
About $47,872.42 a year ($1,841.25 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.42% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $77,690, take-home is $63,034.32.
How does pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median of $57,280 is $22,050 (62.6%) above the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $95,940, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
$95,940 a year or more ($46.13 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
On $95,940 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $75,767.38 a year ($2,914.13 per biweekly paycheck) in Washington under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 21.03%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
BLS estimates 26,530 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area — 12.719 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The location quotient is 0.87 — 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
From $31,479.56 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($36,730) to $75,767.38 at the 90th ($95,940), under the same single-filer assumptions in Washington.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
About $1.67 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 26,530 multiplied by the mean wage of $62,940.
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.