BLS metro-level wage data places Waiters and Waitresses pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN at a median of $29,050 per year ($13.97/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,230, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays 18% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 15,830 waiters and waitressess are employed across the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood MSA in SOC 35-3031.

The Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pay distribution spans from $18,070 at the 10th percentile to $49,380 at the 90th — a 2.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $21,040 and the 75th at $37,070, so half of Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood-based waiters and waitressess earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.