SALARY · WAITERS AND WAITRESSES · ILLINOIS

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Illinois

This is not a guess and it is not a job ad. It is the published BLS figure for waiters and waitresses in Illinois, where the median was $31,200 a year. I keep the source on every page because a salary number without a source is just a story.

MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY

$31,200

$15 per hour at the median · That is $4,030 (11.4 percent) below the national median of $35,230 for this occupation.

$35,610Mean annual salary
$17Mean hourly wage
$72,900People employed in this job in Illinois

Salary range

25th: $31,200Median: $31,20075th: $32,720
MeasureAnnual
25th percentile$31,200
Median (50th percentile)$31,200
75th percentile$32,720
Mean$35,610

The middle half of workers earned from $31,200 to $32,720 a year. Employment size matters too. A field with many workers in a state usually means more openings and more room to move employers without moving states. A small field can pay well but offer fewer ways in.

What stays in your pocket on the median salary

ESTIMATED TAKE-HOME PAY

$25,850 a year
$2,154 a month
Federal tax $1,564 · FICA $2,387 · State tax $1,400
Read this before you use the take-home figure. It is a single-filer estimate using the 2026 standard deduction. It leaves out credits, other deductions, local taxes, and retirement or health deductions. Your actual paycheck can differ, and for states without a verified 2026 table in this build, state tax is still to be added once its table is verified.

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