Waiters and Waitresses in Alabama
The median waiters and waitresse in Alabama earns $26,840 a year and keeps $22,636 of it — $1,886 a month.
Take-home pay, Alabama
$22,636
from $26,840 gross · $871 every two weeks · 15.7% effective tax rate
Gross median from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates, May 2025 estimates (source file). Tax computed here from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and Alabama revenue department tables. Single filer, 2026 tax year, annual liability rather than paycheck withholding.
By filing status
Filing status changes the standard deduction and the bracket widths, so the same salary yields a different answer.
| Filing status | Federal tax | State tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,074 | $1,077 | $22,636 |
| Married filing jointly | $0 | $687 | $24,100 |
| Head of household | $269 | $1,077 | $23,441 |
Every state, ranked by what you keep
Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way. A state can pay less and still leave you with more.
| # | State | Median salary | Take-home | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $62,390 | $49,372 | 21% |
| 2 | Vermont | $59,140 | $48,155 | 19% |
| 3 | Washington | $56,130 | $47,280 | 16% |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $47,850 | $38,922 | 19% |
| 5 | New York | $47,020 | $38,018 | 19% |
| 6 | Oregon | $48,410 | $37,678 | 22% |
| 7 | New Jersey | $44,960 | $37,369 | 17% |
| 8 | Colorado | $44,860 | $36,960 | 18% |
| 9 | Arizona | $43,950 | $36,798 | 16% |
| 10 | Virginia | $44,760 | $36,385 | 19% |
| 11 | Maine | $43,370 | $35,282 | 19% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $38,430 | $33,059 | 14% |
| 13 | Connecticut | $37,770 | $31,754 | 16% |
| 14 | Ohio | $36,700 | $31,442 | 14% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $38,460 | $31,380 | 18% |
| 16 | Florida | $36,150 | $31,227 | 14% |
| 17 | New Mexico | $36,920 | $31,225 | 15% |
| 18 | Michigan | $37,760 | $31,166 | 17% |
| 19 | California | $36,080 | $30,744 | 15% |
| 20 | Delaware | $36,880 | $30,443 | 17% |
| 21 | Maryland | $36,750 | $30,327 | 17% |
| 22 | Kansas | $36,120 | $29,987 | 17% |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $35,420 | $29,929 | 16% |
| 24 | West Virginia | $35,380 | $29,711 | 16% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $34,690 | $28,988 | 16% |
| 26 | Nebraska | $33,770 | $28,657 | 15% |
| 27 | North Carolina | $32,150 | $27,238 | 15% |
| 28 | North Dakota | $30,890 | $27,000 | 13% |
| 29 | Utah | $31,150 | $26,773 | 14% |
| 30 | Illinois | $31,200 | $25,850 | 17% |
| 31 | Idaho | $30,050 | $25,586 | 15% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $29,670 | $25,494 | 14% |
| 33 | South Dakota | $28,990 | $25,473 | 12% |
| 34 | Missouri | $29,400 | $25,358 | 14% |
| 35 | Kentucky | $29,660 | $25,091 | 15% |
| 36 | Tennessee | $27,760 | $24,470 | 12% |
| 37 | Indiana | $28,480 | $24,253 | 15% |
| 38 | Nevada | $26,410 | $23,359 | 12% |
| 39 | Alaska | $26,310 | $23,276 | 12% |
| 40 | Alabama | $26,840 | $22,636 | 16% |
| 41 | Minnesota | $25,470 | $22,040 | 13% |
| 42 | Arkansas | $24,680 | $21,496 | 13% |
| 43 | Wyoming | $23,920 | $21,308 | 11% |
| 44 | Texas | $23,240 | $20,748 | 11% |
| 45 | Montana | $23,370 | $20,514 | 12% |
| 46 | Mississippi | $21,370 | $19,085 | 11% |
| 47 | Iowa | $21,000 | $18,757 | 11% |
| 48 | Georgia | $18,700 | $16,825 | 10% |
| 49 | South Carolina | $18,370 | $16,671 | 9% |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $17,910 | $16,035 | 10% |
| 51 | Louisiana | $15,080 | $13,860 | 8% |
Waiters and Waitresses in Alabama: questions
What is the average waiters and waitresses salary in Alabama?›
The median is $26,840 a year, about $12.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates. Median means half of waiters and waitresses in Alabama earn more and half earn less.
What is the take-home pay on $26,840 in Alabama?›
About $22,636 a year — $1,886 a month, or $871 every two weeks — for a single filer in the 2026 tax year, after $1,074 federal income tax, $2,053 in Social Security and Medicare, and $1,077 Alabama income tax.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Alabama than elsewhere?›
No. At $26,840, Alabama pays $6,930 below the $33,770 median across all states, ranking 38 of 51 on gross pay. On take-home pay after tax it ranks 40.
Where do waiters and waitresses keep the most money?›
Ranked by take-home rather than gross, the best-paying states for this occupation are Hawaii ($49,372), Vermont ($48,155), Washington ($47,280). Gross pay and take-home pay do not rank the same way, because state income tax varies from nothing to over 10%.
What is the effective tax rate on $26,840 in Alabama?›
15.7% of gross pay, combining federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax. The marginal rate — what you would pay on the next dollar earned — is 22.7%.