Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, waiters and waitresses earn $29,390 at the median, or about $14.13 an hour. The range runs from $15K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $30,507 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 79.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Pay for waiters and waitresses in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,730/month, which is 80.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for waiters and waitressess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $25K | $27K |
| Knoxville | $28K | $30K |
| Chattanooga | $24K | $27K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $28K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $15K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $35K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 80.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $15K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $905/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 191% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $29,390 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $15,080, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $50,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,138/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 80.9% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $30,507 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.