Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Waiter and Waitress Salary in Shreveport, LA

Waiters and Waitresses in the Shreveport-Bossier City, LA metro area earn a median $15,080 a year — 57% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $13,860 take-home, or $1,155 a month.

Median salary
$15,080
$7.25 per hour
Typical range
$15,080 – $38,470
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Shreveport, LA
2,620
1.10× national concentration
▼13.2%
Pay trend: The median for waiters and waitresses in Shreveport, LA fell from $17,380 (May 2024) to $15,080 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 15.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median waiter and waitress salary in Shreveport, LA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Waiter and Waitress in Shreveport, LA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$13,860
per year · effective tax rate 8.1%
$1,155Monthly
$578Twice a month
$533Every 2 weeks
$6.66Hourly
  • Federal income tax$0
  • Social Security (6.2%)$935
  • Medicare (1.45%)$219
  • Louisiana income tax$66
  • Take-home pay$13,860

Marginal rate: 0% federal + 3.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Waiter and Waitress pay by experience in Shreveport, LA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$15,080$7.25$13,860$1,155
25th percentile$15,080$7.25$13,860$1,155
Median (50th)$15,080$7.25$13,860$1,155
75th percentile$26,760$12.87$23,230$1,936
90th percentile (top earners)$38,470$18.50$32,323$2,694

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Louisiana resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $15,080 buys in Shreveport, LA

Prices in Shreveport, LA are 15.2% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 48% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median waiter and waitress's $13,860 take-home pay has the buying power of $16,351 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$982
85% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,111
96% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$173
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Waiter and Waitress jobs are about as common in Shreveport, LA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).

Best-paying cities for waiters and waitresses, adjusted for cost of living

Shreveport, LA ranks #145 of 148 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Kahului, HI $82,550$62,160$56,823
2Seattle, WA $57,280$48,204$43,375
3Urban Honolulu, HI $60,250$47,542$42,846
4Spokane, WA $48,560$41,198$41,056
5Syracuse, NY $47,640$38,483$40,195
6Portland, OR $54,780$42,232$40,060
7Albany, NY $48,980$39,488$39,660
8Buffalo, NY $46,580$37,689$39,323
145Shreveport, LA$15,080$13,860$16,351

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 148 metros →

About the job: waiters and waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+2.0% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Waiter and Waitress salaries elsewhere in Louisiana

Frequently asked questions

How much does a waiter and waitress make in Shreveport, LA?

The median waiter and waitress salary in the Shreveport-Bossier City, LA metro area is $15,080 a year, or about $7.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $15,080 and $26,760.

What is a waiter and waitress’s take-home pay in Shreveport, LA?

On the median $15,080 salary, a single filer living in Louisiana takes home about $13,860 a year ($1,155 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $66 in Louisiana taxes in 2026.

Is Shreveport, LA a good place to work as a waiter and waitress?

Pay here is 57% below the national median of $35,230. Local prices are 15.2% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $16,351 would in a typical U.S. city. Shreveport, LA ranks #145 of 148 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a waiter and waitress afford rent in Shreveport, LA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Shreveport, LA is $982 a month ($1,111 for two bedrooms) — 85% of a median waiter and waitress’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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