Waiters and Waitresses in California
The median waiters and waitresse in California earns $36,080 a year and keeps $30,744 of it — $2,562 a month.
Take-home pay, California
$30,744
from $36,080 gross · $1,182 every two weeks · 14.8% 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 California 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 | $2,150 | $426 | $30,744 |
| Married filing jointly | $388 | $0 | $32,932 |
| Head of household | $1,193 | $426 | $31,701 |
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 California: questions
What is the average waiters and waitresses salary in California?›
The median is $36,080 a year, about $17.35 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates. Median means half of waiters and waitresses in California earn more and half earn less.
What is the take-home pay on $36,080 in California?›
About $30,744 a year — $2,562 a month, or $1,182 every two weeks — for a single filer in the 2026 tax year, after $2,150 federal income tax, $2,760 in Social Security and Medicare, and $426 California income tax.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in California than elsewhere?›
Yes. At $36,080, California pays $2,310 above the $33,770 median across all states, ranking 22 of 51 on gross pay. On take-home pay after tax it ranks 19.
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 $36,080 in California?›
14.8% 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 23.7%.