How much would a waitress in Manhattan make?

How much does a daytime waitress in Manhattan make per year?

• I am relocating to Manhattan and I have been told I need to determine my own and my girlfriend's yearly income in order to apply for apartments.  She plans on waiting tables during the day (she doesn't want to work at night because we wouldn't see each other).  How can I calculate a rough estimate of how much she would make?

• Answer:

  I've never been a waiter (or a waitress) so i'm sure you may get some more accurate answers on here. Although, I have worked in restaurants in Manhattan. Short answer: It will really vary. The reason is because many restaurants pop up, are around for a bit, get no business and shut down. Unfortunately, places like this are always opening up meaning lots of "waitresses wanted" that will struggle to pull in $50 a shift and will soon be out of a job. On the flip side, there are many restaurants that are established and do extremely well. This trickles down to the waitresses. I worked in a restaurant of this stature, it has been around for a long time and is constantly packed, located in the middle of Union Square. Waitresses there could pull in $50,000+ a year, easily. Very few made less than that and a handful made even more (more experienced, better looking, more friendly, etc.) One thing to be mindful of is the way they handle taxes. All the waitresses always owed lots of money come tax season, even going into the thousands. Just be mindful of that and have money put to the side for that specific reason. Good luck!