Waiters and Waitresses Salary by State and Metro Area
Waiters and Waitresses in the United States earn a median salary of $35,230/year ($16.94/hr). Salaries range from $18,100 to $64,720 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across all 50 states and DC and 30 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$18K
10th percentile
$28K
25th percentile
$35K
Median
$47K
75th percentile
$65K
90th percentile
Where Waiters and Waitresses have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $59K | $1,498 | $30K |
| Washington | $56K | $1,830 | $25K |
| Hawaii | $62K | $2,240 | $21K |
| Maine | $43K | $1,281 | $20K |
| Oregon | $48K | $1,555 | $19K |
| Arizona | $44K | $1,437 | $19K |
| Kansas | $36K | $1,066 | $17K |
| New Mexico | $37K | $1,119 | $17K |
| Ohio | $37K | $1,188 | $17K |
| West Virginia | $35K | $1,008 | $17K |
| Michigan | $38K | $1,272 | $16K |
| Virginia | $45K | $1,646 | $16K |
| Nebraska | $34K | $1,113 | $15K |
| New Hampshire | $38K | $1,528 | $15K |
| New York | $47K | $1,917 | $15K |
| North Dakota | $31K | $1,034 | $14K |
| Colorado | $45K | $1,832 | $14K |
| Delaware | $37K | $1,448 | $13K |
| District of Columbia | $48K | $2,146 | $13K |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | $1,351 | $13K |
| South Dakota | $29K | $1,017 | $13K |
| Idaho | $30K | $1,136 | $12K |
| Missouri | $29K | $1,097 | $12K |
| New Jersey | $45K | $2,067 | $12K |
| Florida | $36K | $1,658 | $11K |
| Kentucky | $30K | $1,110 | $11K |
| North Carolina | $32K | $1,284 | $11K |
| Rhode Island | $35K | $1,544 | $11K |
| Wisconsin | $30K | $1,202 | $11K |
| Connecticut | $38K | $1,679 | $11K |
| Indiana | $28K | $1,144 | $10K |
| Tennessee | $28K | $1,215 | $10K |
| Illinois | $31K | $1,407 | $9K |
| Utah | $31K | $1,350 | $9K |
| Wyoming | $24K | $1,008 | $9K |
| Alabama | $27K | $1,085 | $9K |
| Arkansas | $25K | $1,021 | $9K |
| Maryland | $37K | $1,795 | $8K |
| Montana | $23K | $1,129 | $7K |
| Iowa | $21K | $1,064 | $5K |
| Minnesota | $25K | $1,384 | $5K |
| Mississippi | $21K | $1,077 | $5K |
| Nevada | $26K | $1,501 | $5K |
| Texas | $23K | $1,415 | $4K |
| Massachusetts | $38K | $2,347 | $3K |
| Oklahoma | $18K | $1,081 | $3K |
| Alaska | $26K | $1,643 | $3K |
| South Carolina | $18K | $1,263 | $1K |
| California | $36K | $2,471 | $1K |
| Georgia | $19K | $1,434 | $-1K |
| Louisiana | $15K | $1,191 | $-1K |
Waiters and Waitresses salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62K | $29.99/hr | 14,090 |
| Vermont | $59K | $28.43/hr | 4,040 |
| Washington | $56K | $26.98/hr | 45,400 |
| Oregon | $48K | $23.27/hr | 23,040 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | $23.01/hr | 11,530 |
| New York | $47K | $22.61/hr | 142,940 |
| New Jersey | $45K | $21.62/hr | 55,800 |
| Colorado | $45K | $21.57/hr | 40,680 |
| Virginia | $45K | $21.52/hr | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $44K | $21.13/hr | 55,950 |
| Maine | $43K | $20.85/hr | 9,090 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | $18.49/hr | 54,670 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | $18.48/hr | 10,030 |
| Connecticut | $38K | $18.16/hr | 22,370 |
| Michigan | $38K | $18.16/hr | 65,090 |
| New Mexico | $37K | $17.75/hr | 12,740 |
| Delaware | $37K | $17.73/hr | 7,580 |
| Maryland | $37K | $17.67/hr | 38,120 |
| Ohio | $37K | $17.65/hr | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36K | $17.38/hr | 207,180 |
| Kansas | $36K | $17.36/hr | 19,480 |
| California | $36K | $17.35/hr | 229,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | $17.03/hr | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $35K | $17.01/hr | 8,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | $16.68/hr | 82,300 |
| Nebraska | $34K | $16.24/hr | 13,310 |
| North Carolina | $32K | $15.46/hr | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31K | $15/hr | 72,900 |
| Utah | $31K | $14.98/hr | 17,790 |
| North Dakota | $31K | $14.85/hr | 5,250 |
| Idaho | $30K | $14.45/hr | 10,950 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | $14.26/hr | 36,220 |
| Kentucky | $30K | $14.26/hr | 27,150 |
| Missouri | $29K | $14.13/hr | 41,640 |
| South Dakota | $29K | $13.94/hr | 7,350 |
| Indiana | $28K | $13.69/hr | 43,620 |
| Tennessee | $28K | $13.35/hr | 52,120 |
| Alabama | $27K | $12.91/hr | 28,760 |
| Nevada | $26K | $12.7/hr | 42,520 |
| Alaska | $26K | $12.65/hr | 3,830 |
| Minnesota | $25K | $12.25/hr | 37,630 |
| Arkansas | $25K | $11.86/hr | 17,880 |
| Wyoming | $24K | $11.5/hr | 3,620 |
| Montana | $23K | $11.23/hr | 7,200 |
| Texas | $23K | $11.18/hr | 199,610 |
| Mississippi | $21K | $10.27/hr | 15,190 |
| Iowa | $21K | $10.1/hr | 22,410 |
| Georgia | $19K | $8.99/hr | 76,470 |
| South Carolina | $18K | $8.83/hr | 47,200 |
| Oklahoma | $18K | $8.61/hr | 27,000 |
| Louisiana | $15K | $7.25/hr | 33,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $83K | 2,700 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $62K | 1,510 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $60K | 8,550 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57K | 26,530 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $57K | 340 |
| Bellingham, WA | $57K | 1,450 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55K | 1,370 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $55K | 410 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $55K | 13,910 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $53K | 830 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $53K | 1,410 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $51K | 1,510 |
| Bend, OR | $50K | 1,750 |
| Medford, OR | $50K | 1,130 |
| Boulder, CO | $50K | 2,670 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $50K | 960 |
| Yakima, WA | $49K | 1,000 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $49K | 6,310 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $49K | 330 |
| Salem, OR | $49K | 1,850 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $49K | 3,420 |
| Syracuse, NY | $48K | 3,430 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $48K | 138,720 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $48K | 39,920 |
| Albany, OR | $47K | 380 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $47K | 2,740 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $47K | 3,930 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $47K | 1,680 |
| Corvallis, OR | $47K | 520 |
| Binghamton, NY | $47K | 1,390 |