Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Las Cruces, NM, waiters and waitresses earn $38,670 at the median, or about $18.59 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $42,867 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,042/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Las Cruces, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Las Cruces
Waiters and waitresses pay in Las Cruces tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,042/month, which is 38.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $38K | $40K |
| Santa Fe | $47K | $47K |
| Farmington | $37K | $42K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $24K | $23K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $38K 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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Las Cruces numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 38.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,917/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Las Cruces?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Las Cruces pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $38,670 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,490, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $64,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,684/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 38.8% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $42,867 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.