Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Alabama, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $26,130 at the median, or about $12.56 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $34K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $29,572 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 58.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $26K get you in Alabama?
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Alabama runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 59.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $34K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by metro in Alabama
11 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | $28K | +8% | 710 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $27K | +3% | 560 |
| Montgomery | $27K | +2% | 400 |
| Decatur | $27K | +2% | 150 |
| Birmingham | $26K | +1% | 1,270 |
| Mobile | $25K | -4% | 460 |
| Tuscaloosa | $25K | -6% | 290 |
| Dothan | $24K | -10% | 160 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $24K | -10% | 260 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $23K | -10% | 210 |
| Gadsden | $23K | -13% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 11 metros
Compare to other states
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 59.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,274/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 85% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $26K here vs. $31K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Alabama pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Alabama?
The median is $26,130 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,230, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $34,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,823/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 59.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $29,572 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.