Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Florida, waiters and waitresses earn $36,150 at the median, or about $17.38 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $36,671 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 63.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Florida?
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in Florida
Waiters and waitresses pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 64% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $38K | +4% | 6,610 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $37K | +3% | 4,430 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $37K | +3% | 25,280 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $37K | +1% | 5,080 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $37K | +1% | 9,200 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $37K | +1% | 7,980 |
| Jacksonville | $37K | +1% | 13,140 |
| Punta Gorda | $36K | +1% | 1,780 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $36K | +1% | 1,170 |
| Port St. Lucie | $36K | +0% | 4,050 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $36K | -0% | 57,830 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $36K | -0% | 1,560 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $35K | -2% | 5,920 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $35K | -2% | 36,820 |
| Homosassa Springs | $35K | -2% | 1,020 |
| Gainesville | $35K | -2% | 2,540 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $35K | -2% | 4,260 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $35K | -2% | 3,730 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $35K | -3% | 2,520 |
| Sebring | $35K | -3% | 560 |
| Ocala | $35K | -3% | 2,110 |
| Tallahassee | $35K | -4% | 2,600 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track waiters and waitresses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 64% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for waiters and waitresses in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,634/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 101% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is waiters and waitress a high-paying job in Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Florida pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Florida?
The median is $36,150 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,230, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $63,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,590/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 64% 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 waiters and waitresses salary go in Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $36,671 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do waiters and waitresses 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.