Dishwashers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for dishwasherss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $34,310 ≈ $17/hr
National median salary $34,810
Total employment 477,450 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +0.2%
Slower than average
Annual openings 76,800 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 477,700 → 478,600 (+900)
Typical entry education No formal educational credential
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$41,510
- Hawaii$41,430
- District of Columbia$40,450
- California$39,710
- Massachusetts$39,100
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$25,380
- Louisiana$25,960
- West Virginia$26,500
- Oklahoma$27,280
- Arkansas$28,580
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $41,510 | $40,080 | $20 | +21% | 12,630 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $41,430 | $37,740 | $20 | +20.8% | 4,520 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $40,450 | $38,670 | $19 | +17.9% | 3,580 |
| 4 | California | $39,710 | $37,870 | $19 | +15.7% | 74,160 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $39,100 | $37,190 | $19 | +14% | 14,100 |
| 6 | Colorado | $38,000 | $37,840 | $18 | +10.8% | 8,500 |
| 7 | New York | $37,740 | $35,450 | $18 | +10% | 30,680 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $36,700 | $35,550 | $18 | +7% | 7,340 |
| 9 | Oregon | $36,660 | $36,040 | $18 | +6.8% | 6,680 |
| 10 | Nevada | $36,410 | $34,920 | $18 | +6.1% | 11,360 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $36,390 | $35,900 | $18 | +6.1% | 7,450 |
| 12 | Maine | $36,370 | $35,620 | $17 | +6% | 2,940 |
| 13 | Illinois | $36,340 | $36,180 | $17 | +5.9% | 16,250 |
| 14 | Arizona | $35,660 | $35,130 | $17 | +3.9% | 10,120 |
| 15 | Vermont | $35,270 | $36,010 | $17 | +2.8% | 1,280 |
| 16 | Delaware | $35,220 | $35,780 | $17 | +2.7% | 1,520 |
| 17 | Maryland | $34,590 | $34,030 | $17 | +0.8% | 9,310 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $34,470 | $33,960 | $17 | +0.5% | 2,790 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $34,440 | $34,960 | $17 | +0.4% | 2,370 |
| 20 | Missouri | $33,900 | $32,150 | $16 | -1.2% | 7,200 |
| 21 | Virginia | $33,470 | $33,130 | $16 | -2.4% | 12,520 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $32,970 | $34,060 | $16 | -3.9% | 8,710 |
| 23 | Alaska | $32,500 | $33,890 | $16 | -5.3% | 1,300 |
| 24 | Florida | $32,450 | $31,240 | $16 | -5.4% | 40,480 |
| 25 | Michigan | $32,260 | $31,300 | $16 | -6% | 11,510 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $31,860 | $29,740 | $15 | -7.1% | 2,170 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $31,860 | $30,520 | $15 | -7.1% | 3,250 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $31,700 | $30,530 | $15 | -7.6% | 7,810 |
| 29 | Idaho | $31,540 | $29,920 | $15 | -8.1% | 2,730 |
| 30 | Utah | $31,520 | $31,830 | $15 | -8.1% | 3,650 |
| 31 | Montana | $31,350 | $30,130 | $15 | -8.6% | 2,120 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $31,200 | $29,600 | $15 | -9.1% | 1,060 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $31,110 | $30,340 | $15 | -9.3% | 12,050 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $30,710 | $29,980 | $15 | -10.5% | 800 |
| 35 | Ohio | $30,470 | $29,520 | $15 | -11.2% | 14,380 |
| 36 | Georgia | $29,950 | $29,730 | $14 | -12.7% | 11,300 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $29,950 | $29,950 | $14 | -12.7% | 19,570 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $29,770 | $29,160 | $14 | -13.2% | 7,550 |
| 39 | Texas | $29,720 | $29,610 | $14 | -13.4% | 33,630 |
| 40 | Indiana | $29,700 | $29,480 | $14 | -13.4% | 7,000 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $29,220 | $28,190 | $14 | -14.8% | 1,240 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $29,190 | $29,060 | $14 | -14.9% | 4,890 |
| 43 | Iowa | $29,140 | $29,300 | $14 | -15.1% | 3,290 |
| 44 | Kansas | $28,990 | $28,060 | $14 | -15.5% | 2,480 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $28,860 | $29,070 | $14 | -15.9% | 8,190 |
| 46 | Alabama | $28,800 | $28,930 | $14 | -16.1% | 3,540 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $28,580 | $27,540 | $14 | -16.7% | 2,630 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $27,280 | $27,390 | $13 | -20.5% | 4,060 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $26,500 | $26,460 | $13 | -22.8% | 1,640 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $25,960 | $26,440 | $12 | -24.3% | 4,210 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $25,380 | $26,300 | $12 | -26% | 2,880 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 515 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $45,930 | $46,880 | 800 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,960 | $44,840 | 3,940 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $42,750 | $42,770 | 7,910 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,100 | $43,040 | 9,530 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $39,930 | $42,060 | 590 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,910 | $41,980 | 340 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38,810 | $40,220 | 1,160 |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $38,710 | $39,080 | 4,530 |
| 9 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $38,580 | $40,700 | 900 |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,530 | $39,820 | 7,790 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing dishwasherss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $46,850 | $43,140 | 50 |
| 2 | Personal and Laundry Services | $45,250 | $42,380 | — |
| 3 | Other Personal Services | $45,250 | $45,400 | — |
| 4 | Casino Hotels | $42,860 | $42,300 | 6,220 |
| 5 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $41,320 | $39,990 | 320 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $41,020 | $39,910 | 320 |
| 7 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $41,020 | $39,170 | 420 |
| 8 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $39,620 | $41,060 | 60 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $39,620 | $41,070 | 60 |
| 10 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,480 | $41,040 | 190 |
| 11 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,480 | $41,040 | 190 |
| 12 | Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters | $39,280 | $36,910 | 140 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do dishwashers make in the U.S.?
The median dishwashers salary in the United States is $34,810 per year (mean $34,310), and about 80% earn between $26,200 and $42,860.
How much do dishwashers make per hour?
Roughly $17 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $34,310 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays dishwashers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for dishwashers at $41,510 per year (median $40,080).
What is the job outlook for dishwashers?
Employment is projected to change +0.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 76,800 openings per year.