Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT, waiters and waitresses earn $37,200 at the median, or about $17.88 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.75), that's roughly $36,204 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,865/month, about 72.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford’s Regional Price Parity (102.75). 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.
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
Waiters and waitresses pay in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,865/month, which is 73.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.75) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $39K | $36K |
| New Haven | $38K | $36K |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $38K | $38K |
| Waterbury-Shelton | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Waiters and Waitresses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62K | +77% | 14,090 |
| Vermont | $59K | +68% | 4,040 |
| Washington | $56K | +59% | 45,400 |
| Oregon | $48K | +37% | 23,040 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | +36% | 11,530 |
| New York | $47K | +33% | 142,940 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +28% | 55,800 |
| Colorado | $45K | +27% | 40,680 |
| Virginia | $45K | +27% | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $44K | +25% | 55,950 |
| Maine | $43K | +23% | 9,090 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +9% | 54,670 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +9% | 10,030 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +7% | 22,370 |
| Michigan | $38K | +7% | 65,090 |
| New Mexico | $37K | +5% | 12,740 |
| Delaware | $37K | +5% | 7,580 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 38,120 |
| Ohio | $37K | +4% | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36K | +3% | 207,180 |
| Kansas | $36K | +3% | 19,480 |
| California | $36K | +2% | 229,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +1% | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $35K | +0% | 8,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -2% | 82,300 |
| Nebraska | $34K | -4% | 13,310 |
| North Carolina | $32K | -9% | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31K | -11% | 72,900 |
| Utah | $31K | -12% | 17,790 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -12% | 5,250 |
| Idaho | $30K | -15% | 10,950 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | -16% | 36,220 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -16% | 27,150 |
| Missouri | $29K | -17% | 41,640 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -18% | 7,350 |
| Indiana | $28K | -19% | 43,620 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -21% | 52,120 |
| Alabama | $27K | -24% | 28,760 |
| Nevada | $26K | -25% | 42,520 |
| Alaska | $26K | -25% | 3,830 |
| Minnesota | $25K | -28% | 37,630 |
| Arkansas | $25K | -30% | 17,880 |
| Wyoming | $24K | -32% | 3,620 |
| Montana | $23K | -34% | 7,200 |
| Texas | $23K | -34% | 199,610 |
| Mississippi | $21K | -39% | 15,190 |
| Iowa | $21K | -40% | 22,410 |
| Georgia | $19K | -47% | 76,470 |
| South Carolina | $18K | -48% | 47,200 |
| Oklahoma | $18K | -49% | 27,000 |
| Louisiana | $15K | -57% | 33,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track waiters and waitresses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 73.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,865/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 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,041/month. At HUD’s $1,865/month FMR, rent would take 91% 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 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.75), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT?
The median is $37,200 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,010, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $73,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,522/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,865/month, which eats 73.9% 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 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford has a Regional Price Parity of 102.75 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $36,204 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.