Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$45,330
- Oregon$42,600
- Washington$42,140
- District of Columbia$41,340
- New York$40,100
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$23,320
- Mississippi$23,510
- Wyoming$25,430
- West Virginia$25,510
- Idaho$26,370
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $45,330 | $47,070 | $22 | +38.7% | 2,650 |
| 2 | Oregon | $42,600 | $40,720 | $20 | +30.3% | 5,740 |
| 3 | Washington | $42,140 | $37,270 | $20 | +28.9% | 9,530 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $41,340 | $37,570 | $20 | +26.5% | 2,450 |
| 5 | New York | $40,100 | $36,490 | $19 | +22.7% | 18,640 |
| 6 | California | $39,900 | $36,640 | $19 | +22.1% | 41,100 |
| 7 | Colorado | $39,250 | $36,340 | $19 | +20.1% | 9,490 |
| 8 | Maine | $39,050 | $36,800 | $19 | +19.5% | 1,460 |
| 9 | Arizona | $37,960 | $34,740 | $18 | +16.1% | 10,710 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $36,000 | $34,210 | $17 | +10.1% | 3,670 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $35,800 | $34,050 | $17 | +9.5% | 9,420 |
| 12 | Vermont | $35,670 | $31,080 | $17 | +9.1% | 1,060 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $35,420 | $34,960 | $17 | +8.4% | 13,540 |
| 14 | Maryland | $35,110 | $34,860 | $17 | +7.4% | 7,390 |
| 15 | Nevada | $35,010 | $31,170 | $17 | +7.1% | 6,570 |
| 16 | Illinois | $34,750 | $31,200 | $17 | +6.3% | 16,500 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $34,330 | $31,400 | $17 | +5% | — |
| 18 | Alaska | $33,840 | $30,210 | $16 | +3.5% | 740 |
| 19 | Virginia | $33,240 | $30,490 | $16 | +1.7% | 10,890 |
| 20 | Florida | $33,170 | $29,810 | $16 | +1.5% | 37,100 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $32,900 | $33,920 | $16 | +0.6% | 2,130 |
| 22 | Delaware | $32,600 | $31,200 | $16 | -0.3% | 1,680 |
| 23 | Missouri | $32,440 | $29,130 | $16 | -0.8% | 8,510 |
| 24 | Utah | $31,670 | $29,610 | $15 | -3.1% | 4,950 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $31,620 | $30,200 | $15 | -3.3% | 7,150 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $31,480 | $28,450 | $15 | -3.7% | 2,830 |
| 27 | Michigan | $31,010 | $28,950 | $15 | -5.1% | 12,620 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $31,000 | $30,310 | $15 | -5.2% | 630 |
| 29 | Iowa | $30,690 | $28,210 | $15 | -6.1% | 2,630 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $30,220 | $28,480 | $15 | -7.6% | 2,670 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $30,020 | $29,170 | $14 | -8.2% | 18,020 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $29,970 | $28,660 | $14 | -8.3% | 800 |
| 33 | Ohio | $29,370 | $27,550 | $14 | -10.2% | 15,480 |
| 34 | Montana | $29,320 | $28,910 | $14 | -10.3% | 1,260 |
| 35 | Kansas | $28,650 | $28,110 | $14 | -12.4% | 4,540 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $28,440 | $28,060 | $14 | -13% | 6,430 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $28,120 | $28,320 | $14 | -14% | 15,160 |
| 38 | Indiana | $27,730 | $26,920 | $13 | -15.2% | 9,730 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $27,690 | $27,490 | $13 | -15.3% | 11,280 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $27,560 | $26,760 | $13 | -15.7% | 3,110 |
| 41 | Georgia | $27,170 | $27,850 | $13 | -16.9% | 17,300 |
| 42 | Texas | $27,100 | $27,080 | $13 | -17.1% | 35,550 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $26,900 | $27,100 | $13 | -17.7% | 5,120 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $26,870 | $27,000 | $13 | -17.8% | 7,990 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $26,860 | $24,740 | $13 | -17.8% | 5,060 |
| 46 | Alabama | $26,530 | $26,130 | $13 | -18.8% | 5,400 |
| 47 | Idaho | $26,370 | $27,280 | $13 | -19.3% | 2,360 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $25,510 | $24,420 | $12 | -22% | 1,580 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $25,430 | $22,660 | $12 | -22.2% | 660 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $23,510 | $21,990 | $11 | -28.1% | 2,660 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $23,320 | $22,060 | $11 | -28.7% | 6,440 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 504 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,110 | $44,820 | 1,740 |
| 2 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $47,010 | $44,710 | 420 |
| 3 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $45,240 | $47,650 | 490 |
| 4 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $43,410 | $44,390 | 3,390 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $42,400 | $44,080 | 1,860 |
| 6 | Grants Pass, OR | $40,890 | $41,740 | 100 |
| 7 | Bend, OR | $40,090 | $41,960 | 480 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,810 | $42,510 | 4,090 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,430 | $43,620 | 6,010 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $38,220 | $42,640 | 580 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $41,550 | $41,820 | 2,340 |
| 2 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $41,410 | $41,800 | 2,350 |
| 3 | Hospitals | $40,600 | $41,280 | 2,540 |
| 4 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $40,600 | $41,290 | 2,540 |
| 5 | Casino Hotels | $40,230 | $41,180 | 3,680 |
| 6 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $40,090 | $41,660 | 440 |
| 7 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $39,650 | $39,680 | 50 |
| 8 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $39,650 | $39,680 | 50 |
| 9 | Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance | $39,390 | $39,690 | 3,730 |
| 10 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $38,930 | $38,910 | 30 |
| 11 | Educational Services | $38,920 | $38,070 | 40 |
| 12 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $38,920 | $38,070 | 40 |
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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in the U.S.?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the United States is $31,200 per year (mean $32,690), and about 80% earn between $22,340 and $43,990.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make per hour?
Roughly $16 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $32,690 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop at $45,330 per year (median $47,070).
What is the job outlook for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Employment is projected to change -1.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 107,700 openings per year.