Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In New York, waiters and waitresses earn $47,020 at the median, or about $22.61 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $47,877 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 59.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in New York?
About waiters and waitresses
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What this looks like in New York
New York sits well above the national pay line for waiters and waitresses, local pay runs about 33% higher than the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,917/month, which is 60.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) 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, New York
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro in New York
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $49K | +4% | 6,310 |
| Syracuse | $48K | +1% | 3,430 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $48K | +1% | 138,720 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $47K | -0% | 3,930 |
| Binghamton | $47K | -1% | 1,390 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $47K | -1% | 7,990 |
| Kingston | $46K | -1% | 1,280 |
| Elmira | $46K | -2% | 480 |
| Ithaca | $46K | -2% | 620 |
| Utica-Rome | $46K | -2% | 1,790 |
| Rochester | $45K | -4% | 6,070 |
| Glens Falls | $44K | -7% | 990 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum | $39K | -18% | 710 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 60.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,012/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 95% 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 New York?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $47K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does New York compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
New York pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in New York?
The median is $47,020 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,540, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $83,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,153/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 60.8% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $47,877 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.