Waiters and Waitresses salary in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Waiters and Waitresses in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Michigan tax rules.
The figures
The median Waiters and Waitresses in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earns $37,490 a year ($18.02 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Waiters and Waitresses in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn between $28,770 and $59,530 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $25,960 or less and the top 10 percent earn $64,210 or more. BLS estimates 29,210 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area — 15.337 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.05 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 1.3% of all Waiters and Waitresses employment in the United States (2,270,910 jobs nationally). By employment, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is the #13 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Waiters and Waitresses. In aggregate, Waiters and Waitresses in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn about $1.32 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $36,736.60 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Waiters and Waitresses is about $1.07 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 7.3% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #9 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Waiters and Waitresses. By employment, Waiters and Waitresses is the #12 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Placed against the national distribution for Waiters and Waitresses, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,490 falls between the national median ($35,230) and the national 75th percentile ($47,110). Across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median is $52,080 a year — Waiters and Waitresses pay is 28.0% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $21.67 | $45,080 |
| 10th percentile | $12.48 | $25,960 |
| 25th percentile | $13.83 | $28,770 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $18.02 | $37,490 |
| 75th percentile | $28.62 | $59,530 |
| 90th percentile | $30.87 | $64,210 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Waiters and Waitresses in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn 2.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($64,210 against $25,960). The middle half spans $30,760 — from $28,770 to $59,530. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($30.87) is 2.47 times the 10th ($12.48). In the upper half of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $59,530 takes home $47,733.02 and the 90th percentile wage of $64,210 takes home $51,294.50 — $3,561.48 more net for $4,680 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,960.62, the top decile keeps 1.66 times as much. The mean wage of $45,080 sits 20.2% above the median: higher-paid Waiters and Waitresses pull the average up in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Among the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, Waiters and Waitresses ranks #22 by median pay. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage ladder of covered occupations, Waiters and Waitresses sits between First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers at $38,570 and Cooks, Restaurant at $37,410. Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.5% of all employment in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area. The average covered metro employs 39,482 Waiters and Waitresses; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI employs 0.7 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Michigan
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Michigan; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $37,490.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,318.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,324.38 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $543.61 |
| Michigan income tax | $1,342.58 |
| Total deductions | $6,529.38 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,960.62 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,190.79 |
| Total deduction rate | 17.42% of gross |
At the median, $30,960.62 of the $37,490 gross is kept ($1,190.79 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 17.42%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.73% at the 10th percentile, 15.45% at the 25th percentile, 19.82% at the 75th percentile, 20.11% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $23,408.24 on a gross rise of $30,760.
The same engine at the other published points of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($25,960) | $22,135.66 | $851.37 | 14.73% |
| 25th percentile ($28,770) | $24,324.78 | $935.57 | 15.45% |
| Median ($37,490) | $30,960.62 | $1,190.79 | 17.42% |
| 75th percentile ($59,530) | $47,733.02 | $1,835.89 | 19.82% |
| 90th percentile ($64,210) | $51,294.50 | $1,972.87 | 20.11% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $22,135.66 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,294.50 at the 90th — a spread of $29,158.84 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median wage of $52,080 takes home $42,063.76 a year ($1,617.84 per paycheck, deduction rate 19.23%). The Waiters and Waitresses median take-home of $30,960.62 sits $11,103.14 (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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,490 is $2,260 (6.4%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $45,080 a year in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI against $40,060 nationally, a gap of $5,020 (12.5%).
Set against the whole local market, the Waiters and Waitresses 90th percentile of $64,210 is 50% of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI all-occupations 90th percentile ($127,470), and its 10th percentile of $25,960 is 84% of the area-wide 10th ($30,990).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,490 | $18.02 | $45,080 |
| United States | $35,230 | $16.94 | $40,060 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Waiters and Waitresses in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$37,490 a year ($18.02 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $45,080 a year. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #9 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $37,490 in Michigan?
About $30,960.62 a year ($1,190.79 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 17.42% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $59,530, take-home is $47,733.02.
How does pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $37,490 is $2,260 (6.4%) above the national median of $35,230 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $64,210, against a national 90th percentile of $64,720.
How much do the top 10% of Waiters and Waitresses earn in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$64,210 a year or more ($30.87 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
On $64,210 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $51,294.50 a year ($1,972.87 per biweekly paycheck) in Michigan under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 20.11%.
How many Waiters and Waitresses jobs are there in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
BLS estimates 29,210 Waiters and Waitresses jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — 15.337 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Waiters and Waitresses jobs in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The location quotient is 1.05 — 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
From $22,135.66 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($25,960) to $51,294.50 at the 90th ($64,210), under the same single-filer assumptions in Michigan.
What is the total wage bill for Waiters and Waitresses in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
About $1.32 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 29,210 multiplied by the mean wage of $45,080.
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.