SOC 35-3031 · Missoula, MT metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Missoula, MT

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Missoula, Montana is $27,940 a year ($13.43 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $23,210: half of the 930 people in this job in the Missoula, MT metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 30% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$27,940average per year

$13.43 / hourMedian $23,210Take-home ≈ $24,062

  • $22K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $23KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $42K90th

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

930people in this job
-30%vs U.S. average
#5 of 5Montana metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Missoula

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,890 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Missoula earn between $22,150 and $28,660.

  • $22K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $23KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $42K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$27,940$2,328$13.43
Median$23,210$1,934$11.16
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,150$1,846$10.65
Experienced (75th percentile)$28,660$2,388$13.78

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

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Missoula vs. Montana and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Missoula earn 4% less than the Montana average ($29,180) and 30% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -34% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Missoula$27,940$23,210$21,940$41,890930
Montana$29,180$23,370$21,940$45,4207,200
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 Missoula

On the average salary of $27,940, a single filer in Missoula takes home about $24,062 a year, or $2,005 a month and $925 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Montana paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Missoula area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.4), so the average $27,940 buys what about $28,970 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Missoula ($47,830). A typical home costs $580,429, or 20.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $27,940 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Montana cities

Missoula ranks 5th of 5 Montana metro areas for this job; Bozeman pays the most ($31,680).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Montana

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 Missoula, MT.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Missoula: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Missoula?

$13.43 an hour on average, and $11.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,150, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,062 a year ($2,005 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,940.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Missoula than elsewhere?

The average here is 30% 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 Missoula, MT (33540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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