Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Gainesville, GA, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $27,250 at the median, or about $13.1 an hour. The range runs from $19K at the entry level to $33K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.77), that's roughly $28,160 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,514/month, about 78.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Gainesville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Gainesville’s Regional Price Parity (96.77). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Gainesville
Pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Gainesville runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,514/month, which is 79.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in metros near Gainesville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $29K | $29K |
| Savannah | $28K | $30K |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $26K | $28K |
| Athens-Clarke County | $26K | $28K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Gainesville, GA
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $19K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $33K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47K | +51% | 2,650 |
| Oregon | $41K | +31% | 5,740 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +20% | 2,450 |
| Washington | $37K | +19% | 9,530 |
| Maine | $37K | +18% | 1,460 |
| California | $37K | +17% | 41,100 |
| New York | $36K | +17% | 18,640 |
| Colorado | $36K | +16% | 9,490 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | +12% | 13,540 |
| Maryland | $35K | +12% | 7,390 |
| Arizona | $35K | +11% | 10,710 |
| Connecticut | $34K | +10% | 3,670 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +9% | 9,420 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +9% | 2,130 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | +1% | N/A |
| Illinois | $31K | +0% | 16,500 |
| Delaware | $31K | +0% | 1,680 |
| Nevada | $31K | -0% | 6,570 |
| Vermont | $31K | -0% | 1,060 |
| Virginia | $30K | -2% | 10,890 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -3% | 630 |
| Alaska | $30K | -3% | 740 |
| Minnesota | $30K | -3% | 7,150 |
| Florida | $30K | -4% | 37,100 |
| Utah | $30K | -5% | 4,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -7% | 18,020 |
| Missouri | $29K | -7% | 8,510 |
| Michigan | $29K | -7% | 12,620 |
| Montana | $29K | -7% | 1,260 |
| North Dakota | $29K | -8% | 800 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -9% | 2,670 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -9% | 2,830 |
| North Carolina | $28K | -9% | 15,160 |
| Iowa | $28K | -10% | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $28K | -10% | 4,540 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -10% | 6,430 |
| Georgia | $28K | -11% | 17,300 |
| Ohio | $28K | -12% | 15,480 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -12% | 11,280 |
| Idaho | $27K | -13% | 2,360 |
| Kentucky | $27K | -13% | 5,120 |
| Texas | $27K | -13% | 35,550 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -13% | 7,990 |
| Indiana | $27K | -14% | 9,730 |
| Arkansas | $27K | -14% | 3,110 |
| Alabama | $26K | -16% | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $25K | -21% | 5,060 |
| West Virginia | $24K | -22% | 1,580 |
| Wyoming | $23K | -27% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -29% | 6,440 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -30% | 2,660 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Gainesville 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 Gainesville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 79.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,514/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Gainesville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $19K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,124/month. At HUD’s $1,514/month FMR, rent would take 135% 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 Gainesville?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Gainesville compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Gainesville pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $28K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Gainesville, GA?
The median is $27,250 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $18,730, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $33,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Gainesville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,907/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,514/month, which eats 79.4% 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 Gainesville?
Gainesville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.77 (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 $28,160 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.