Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, waiters and waitresses earn $36,650 at the median, or about $17.62 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.24), that's roughly $36,562 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,004/month, about 80.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Amherst Town-Northampton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Amherst Town-Northampton’s Regional Price Parity (100.24). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in Amherst Town-Northampton
Waiters and waitresses pay in Amherst Town-Northampton tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,004/month, which is 81.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.24) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near Amherst Town-Northampton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $39K | $36K |
| Worcester | $37K | $36K |
| Barnstable Town | $38K | $39K |
| Springfield | $36K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Waiters and Waitresses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62K | +77% | 14,090 |
| Vermont | $59K | +68% | 4,040 |
| Washington | $56K | +59% | 45,400 |
| Oregon | $48K | +37% | 23,040 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | +36% | 11,530 |
| New York | $47K | +33% | 142,940 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +28% | 55,800 |
| Colorado | $45K | +27% | 40,680 |
| Virginia | $45K | +27% | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $44K | +25% | 55,950 |
| Maine | $43K | +23% | 9,090 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +9% | 54,670 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +9% | 10,030 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +7% | 22,370 |
| Michigan | $38K | +7% | 65,090 |
| New Mexico | $37K | +5% | 12,740 |
| Delaware | $37K | +5% | 7,580 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 38,120 |
| Ohio | $37K | +4% | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36K | +3% | 207,180 |
| Kansas | $36K | +3% | 19,480 |
| California | $36K | +2% | 229,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +1% | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $35K | +0% | 8,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -2% | 82,300 |
| Nebraska | $34K | -4% | 13,310 |
| North Carolina | $32K | -9% | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31K | -11% | 72,900 |
| Utah | $31K | -12% | 17,790 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -12% | 5,250 |
| Idaho | $30K | -15% | 10,950 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | -16% | 36,220 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -16% | 27,150 |
| Missouri | $29K | -17% | 41,640 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -18% | 7,350 |
| Indiana | $28K | -19% | 43,620 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -21% | 52,120 |
| Alabama | $27K | -24% | 28,760 |
| Nevada | $26K | -25% | 42,520 |
| Alaska | $26K | -25% | 3,830 |
| Minnesota | $25K | -28% | 37,630 |
| Arkansas | $25K | -30% | 17,880 |
| Wyoming | $24K | -32% | 3,620 |
| Montana | $23K | -34% | 7,200 |
| Texas | $23K | -34% | 199,610 |
| Mississippi | $21K | -39% | 15,190 |
| Iowa | $21K | -40% | 22,410 |
| Georgia | $19K | -47% | 76,470 |
| South Carolina | $18K | -48% | 47,200 |
| Oklahoma | $18K | -49% | 27,000 |
| Louisiana | $15K | -57% | 33,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track waiters and waitresses salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Amherst Town-Northampton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 81.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,004/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Amherst Town-Northampton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $2,004/month FMR, rent would take 107% 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 Amherst Town-Northampton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Amherst Town-Northampton compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Amherst Town-Northampton pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?
The median is $36,650 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $60,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Amherst Town-Northampton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,471/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,004/month, which eats 81.1% 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 Amherst Town-Northampton?
Amherst Town-Northampton has a Regional Price Parity of 100.24 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $36,562 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.