Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Alabama, waiters and waitresses earn $26,840 at the median, or about $12.91 an hour. The range runs from $17K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $30,376 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 57.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $27K get you in Alabama?
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for waiters and waitresses in Alabama runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 58.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for waiters and waitressess.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $17K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro in Alabama
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | $28K | +4% | 3,290 |
| Birmingham | $28K | +3% | 7,000 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $27K | +1% | 3,120 |
| Decatur | $27K | +1% | 670 |
| Tuscaloosa | $27K | +0% | 1,650 |
| Mobile | $27K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $26K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Montgomery | $26K | -2% | 2,300 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $26K | -3% | 1,100 |
| Anniston-Oxford | $25K | -8% | 600 |
| Dothan | $25K | -9% | 960 |
| Gadsden | $24K | -10% | 560 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 58.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for waiters and waitresses in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $17K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $993/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 109% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is waiters and waitress a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $27K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Alabama pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Alabama?
The median is $26,840 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $16,550, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $36,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,869/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 58.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a waiters and waitresses salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $30,376 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do waiters and waitresses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.