Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Arizona, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $34,740 at the median, or about $16.7 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $36,034 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,437/month, about 59.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $35K get you in Arizona?
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What this looks like in Arizona
Arizona sits well above the national pay line for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,437/month, which is 59.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by metro in Arizona
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | $35K | +2% | 330 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $35K | +1% | 8,090 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $35K | -0% | 280 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $34K | -1% | 220 |
| Tucson | $34K | -3% | 1,190 |
| Yuma | $31K | -11% | 180 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas | $31K | -11% | 80 |
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 Arizona 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 Arizona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 59.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,843/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Arizona?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $35K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Arizona pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Arizona?
The median is $34,740 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,710, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $46,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,424/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 59.3% 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 Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (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 $36,034 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.