Waiters and Waitresses salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Georgia tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area earns $18,460 a year ($8.88 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn between $15,080 and $36,760 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $15,080 or less and the top 10 percent earn $46,800 or more. BLS estimates 45,880 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area — 15.879 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.09 (above the national concentration). That is 2.0% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA is the #8 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn about $1.23 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $23,145.24 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Waiters and Waitresses is about $1.06 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 6.2% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA stands #25 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Waiters and Waitresses. By employment, Waiters and Waitresses is the #9 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $18,460 falls below the national 25th percentile of $27,750. Across all occupations, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median is $51,170 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 63.9% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $12.92 | $26,870 |
| 10th percentile | $7.25 | $15,080 |
| 25th percentile | $7.25 | $15,080 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $8.88 | $18,460 |
| 75th percentile | $17.67 | $36,760 |
| 90th percentile | $22.50 | $46,800 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA earn 3.1 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($46,800 against $15,080). The middle half spans $21,680 — from $15,080 to $36,760. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.50) is 3.10 times the 10th ($7.25). In the upper half of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $36,760 takes home $30,630.76 and the 90th percentile wage of $46,800 takes home $38,197.12 — $7,566.36 more net for $10,040 more gross. Against the median take-home of $16,638.96, the top decile keeps 2.30 times as much. The mean wage of $26,870 sits 45.6% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Among the 30 covered occupations in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #30 by median pay. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits just below Fast Food and Counter Workers at $27,780. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.6% of all employment in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA employs 1.2 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Georgia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Georgia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $18,460.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $236.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $1,144.52 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $267.67 |
| Georgia income tax | $172.65 |
| Total deductions | $1,821.04 |
| Net pay (annual) | $16,638.96 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $639.96 |
| Total deduction rate | 9.86% of gross |
At the median, $16,638.96 of the $18,460 gross is kept ($639.96 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 9.86%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 7.68% at the 10th percentile, 7.68% at the 25th percentile, 16.67% at the 75th percentile, 18.38% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $16,708.28 on a gross rise of $21,680.
The same engine at the other published points of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($15,080) | $13,922.48 | $535.48 | 7.68% |
| 25th percentile ($15,080) | $13,922.48 | $535.48 | 7.68% |
| Median ($18,460) | $16,638.96 | $639.96 | 9.86% |
| 75th percentile ($36,760) | $30,630.76 | $1,178.11 | 16.67% |
| 90th percentile ($46,800) | $38,197.12 | $1,469.12 | 18.38% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $13,922.48 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,197.12 at the 90th — a spread of $24,274.64 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median wage of $51,170 takes home $41,490.20 a year ($1,595.78 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.92%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $16,638.96 sits $24,851.24 (below that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Waiters and Waitresses earns $35,230 a year ($16.94 an hour). The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $18,460 is $16,770 (47.6%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $26,870 a year in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $13,190 (32.9%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $46,800 is 35% of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA all-occupations 90th percentile ($132,230), and its 10th percentile of $15,080 is 52% of the area-wide 10th ($29,110).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $18,460 | $8.88 | $26,870 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
$18,460 a year ($8.88 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $26,870 a year. Ranked by median pay, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA stands #25 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $18,460 in Georgia?
About $16,638.96 a year ($639.96 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 9.86% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $36,760, take-home is $30,630.76.
How does pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median of $18,460 is $16,770 (47.6%) below the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $46,800, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
$46,800 a year or more ($22.50 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
On $46,800 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $38,197.12 a year ($1,469.12 per biweekly paycheck) in Georgia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.38%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
BLS estimates 45,880 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area — 15.879 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
The location quotient is 1.09 — above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
From $13,922.48 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($15,080) to $38,197.12 at the 90th ($46,800), under the same single-filer assumptions in Georgia.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
About $1.23 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 45,880 multiplied by the mean wage of $26,870.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.