SOC 35-3031 · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Sioux City, IA

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Sioux City, Iowa is $29,280 a year ($14.08 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $26,430: half of the 1,030 people in this job in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 27% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$29,280average per year

$14.08 / hourMedian $26,430Take-home ≈ $25,206

  • $15K10th
  • $16K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $50K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,030people in this job
-27%vs U.S. average
#2 of 8Iowa metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Sioux City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $49,790 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Sioux City earn between $15,560 and $36,530.

  • $15K10th
  • $16K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $50K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,280$2,440$14.08
Median$26,430$2,202$12.71
Entry level (25th percentile)$15,560$1,297$7.48
Experienced (75th percentile)$36,530$3,044$17.56

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Sioux City vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Sioux City earn 9% more than the Iowa average ($26,940) and 27% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -25% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Sioux City$29,280$26,430$15,080$49,7901,030
Iowa$26,940$21,000$15,080$47,98022,410
United States$40,060$35,230$18,100$64,7202,270,910

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Sioux City

On the average salary of $29,280, a single filer in Sioux City takes home about $25,206 a year, or $2,100 a month and $969 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

The Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in SD$25,706$2,142
Working in NE$25,209$2,101
Working in IA$25,206$2,100

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Sioux City a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Sioux City area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.5), so the average $29,280 buys what about $33,868 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Sioux City ($47,030). A typical home costs $225,213, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,280 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Iowa cities

Sioux City ranks 2nd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($29,950).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).

Waiters and Waitresses salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Waiters and Waitresses in Sioux City, IA.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Sioux City: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Sioux City?

$14.08 an hour on average, and $12.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Sioux City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $15,560, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Sioux City?

About $25,206 a year ($2,100 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,280. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Sioux City than elsewhere?

The average here is 27% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3031; area Sioux City, IA-NE-SD (43580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.