Waiters and Waitresses salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 North Carolina tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earns $36,430 a year ($17.51 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn between $21,030 and $57,580 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $18,100 or less and the top 10 percent earn $74,440 or more. BLS estimates 19,990 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area — 14.712 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.01 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 0.9% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is the #22 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn about $0.82 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $33,882.00 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Waiters and Waitresses is about $0.68 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 5% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #12 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $36,430 falls between the national median ($35,230) and the national 75th percentile ($47,110). Across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median is $49,990 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 27.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $19.64 | $40,850 |
| 10th percentile | $8.70 | $18,100 |
| 25th percentile | $10.11 | $21,030 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.51 | $36,430 |
| 75th percentile | $27.68 | $57,580 |
| 90th percentile | $35.79 | $74,440 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn 4.1 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($74,440 against $18,100). The middle half spans $36,550 — from $21,030 to $57,580. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($35.79) is 4.11 times the 10th ($8.70). In the upper half of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $57,580 takes home $46,656.62 and the 90th percentile wage of $74,440 takes home $58,737.30 — $12,080.68 more net for $16,860 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,506.68, the top decile keeps 1.93 times as much. The mean wage of $40,850 sits 12.1% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Among the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #24 by median pay. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits between Cooks, Restaurant at $37,030 and Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $35,600. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.5% of all employment in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs 0.5 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in North Carolina
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in North Carolina; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $36,430.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,191.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,258.66 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $528.24 |
| North Carolina income tax | $944.83 |
| Total deductions | $5,923.32 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,506.68 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,173.33 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.26% of gross |
At the median, $30,506.68 of the $36,430 gross is kept ($1,173.33 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.26%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 9.93% at the 10th percentile, 11.57% at the 25th percentile, 18.97% at the 75th percentile, 21.09% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $28,058.92 on a gross rise of $36,550.
The same engine at the other published points of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($18,100) | $16,302.10 | $627.00 | 9.93% |
| 25th percentile ($21,030) | $18,597.70 | $715.30 | 11.57% |
| Median ($36,430) | $30,506.68 | $1,173.33 | 16.26% |
| 75th percentile ($57,580) | $46,656.62 | $1,794.49 | 18.97% |
| 90th percentile ($74,440) | $58,737.30 | $2,259.13 | 21.09% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $16,302.10 a year at the 10th percentile to $58,737.30 at the 90th — a spread of $42,435.20 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median wage of $49,990 takes home $40,860.88 a year ($1,571.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.26%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $30,506.68 sits $10,354.20 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC also covers parts of South Carolina. The take-home estimate above uses North Carolina rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the South Carolina paycheck calculator.
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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $36,430 is $1,200 (3.4%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $40,850 a year in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $790 (2.0%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $74,440 is 57% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,510), and its 10th percentile of $18,100 is 61% of the area-wide 10th ($29,640).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $36,430 | $17.51 | $40,850 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$36,430 a year ($17.51 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $40,850 a year. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #12 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $36,430 in North Carolina?
About $30,506.68 a year ($1,173.33 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.26% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $57,580, take-home is $46,656.62.
How does pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $36,430 is $1,200 (3.4%) above the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $74,440, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$74,440 a year or more ($35.79 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
On $74,440 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $58,737.30 a year ($2,259.13 per biweekly paycheck) in North Carolina under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 21.09%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
BLS estimates 19,990 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — 14.712 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The location quotient is 1.01 — about the same concentration as the nation. 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
From $16,302.10 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($18,100) to $58,737.30 at the 90th ($74,440), under the same single-filer assumptions in North Carolina.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
About $0.82 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 19,990 multiplied by the mean wage of $40,850.
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.