Home / Compare / Waiters and Waitresses vs. Cooks, Restaurant Salary comparison Waiters and Waitresses vs. Cooks, Restaurant: Salary Comparison (2026) Waiters and Waitressess earn a median salary of $33,760/year, while Cooks, Restaurants earn $36,830/year - a difference of $3,070. Cooks, Restaurants earn more on average. Both salaries are based on national BLS data.
Waiters and Waitresses
Cooks, Restaurant
Median salary
$33,760
$36,830
Hourly rate
$16.23/hr
$17.71/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$18,500
$28,010
Senior level (90th %)
$62,510
$47,340
Education required
Varies
Varies
U.S. employment
2,302,690
1,452,130
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Food Service
Food Service
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS), BEA Regional Price Parities & HUD Fair Market Rents.
Source data is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS), Bureau of Economic Analysis (Regional Price Parities), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Fair Market Rents). AffordMap is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Per BLS policy, "BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov."
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