Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, waiters and waitresses earn $35,850 at the median, or about $17.23 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $32,040 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 121.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Waiters and waitresses pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 119.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for waiters and waitresses in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $36K | $32K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $39K | $34K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $35K | $33K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $35K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $48K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 119.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,089/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 144% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $35,850 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,820, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $82,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,519/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 119.1% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $32,040 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.