United States
Waiters and Waitresses salary in the United States
Median annual pay
$33,760
Waiters and Waitresses in the United States earn a median of $33,760 a year, about $16.23 an hour.
Median
$33,760
per year
Hourly
$16.23
as published
Mean
$38,360
pulled up by top earners
Workers
2,302,690
in this occupation
Where it pays more in the United States
Median pay for this occupation by area, highest-employing first.
| Area | Type | Median | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | State | $35,290 | +5% |
| Texas | State | $27,930 | -17% |
| Florida | State | $29,580 | -12% |
| New York | State | $46,460 | +38% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Metro | $45,010 | +33% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Metro | $35,060 | +4% |
| Illinois | State | $29,120 | -14% |
| Pennsylvania | State | $30,300 | -10% |
| Ohio | State | $36,030 | +7% |
| North Carolina | State | $28,460 | -16% |
| Georgia | State | $20,040 | -41% |
| Michigan | State | $35,940 | +6% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Metro | $29,120 | -14% |
| Virginia | State | $36,990 | +10% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Metro | $28,590 | -15% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Metro | $29,510 | -13% |
| New Jersey | State | $38,720 | +15% |
| Arizona | State | $36,730 | +9% |
| Tennessee | State | $28,410 | -16% |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Metro | $26,830 | -21% |
| Massachusetts | State | $36,390 | +8% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Metro | $38,440 | +14% |
| Indiana | State | $27,420 | -19% |
| South Carolina | State | $18,530 | -45% |
| Washington | State | $47,490 | +41% |
Regional figures come from the same release as the national one. Where an area is missing, the source suppressed it for sample-size reasons rather than reporting an unreliable estimate.
How United States measured this
Employer payroll survey of ~1.1m establishments
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 · Public domain (US Government work)
Related occupations in the United States
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $30,480
- Cooks, Restaurant $36,830
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $42,010
- Food Preparation Workers $34,220
- Bartenders $33,530
- Cooks, Fast Food $30,160
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $32,670
- Dishwashers $33,670
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $36,450
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $30,380
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $34,460
- Chefs and Head Cooks $60,990