Waiters and Waitresses Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for waiters and waitressess 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$68,260
- Washington$60,590
- District of Columbia$59,510
- Vermont$58,850
- New York$54,750
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$22,350
- Mississippi$24,680
- Oklahoma$25,870
- South Carolina$25,900
- Georgia$26,610
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $68,260 | $62,390 | $33 | +70.4% | 14,090 |
| 2 | Washington | $60,590 | $56,130 | $29 | +51.2% | 45,400 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $59,510 | $47,850 | $29 | +48.6% | 11,530 |
| 4 | Vermont | $58,850 | $59,140 | $28 | +46.9% | 4,040 |
| 5 | New York | $54,750 | $47,020 | $26 | +36.7% | 142,940 |
| 6 | Oregon | $52,400 | $48,410 | $25 | +30.8% | 23,040 |
| 7 | Maine | $51,260 | $43,370 | $25 | +28% | 9,090 |
| 8 | Colorado | $51,240 | $44,860 | $25 | +27.9% | 40,680 |
| 9 | Arizona | $51,170 | $43,950 | $25 | +27.7% | 55,950 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $50,260 | $44,960 | $24 | +25.5% | 55,800 |
| 11 | Virginia | $46,680 | $44,760 | $22 | +16.5% | 59,370 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $46,220 | $37,770 | $22 | +15.4% | 22,370 |
| 13 | Michigan | $44,910 | $37,760 | $22 | +12.1% | 65,090 |
| 14 | California | $44,600 | $36,080 | $21 | +11.3% | 229,970 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $44,480 | $38,460 | $21 | +11% | 54,670 |
| 16 | Maryland | $43,950 | $36,750 | $21 | +9.7% | 38,120 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $43,380 | $38,430 | $21 | +8.3% | 10,030 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $43,210 | $36,920 | $21 | +7.9% | 12,740 |
| 19 | Delaware | $43,070 | $36,880 | $21 | +7.5% | 7,580 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $42,740 | $35,420 | $21 | +6.7% | 10,160 |
| 21 | Ohio | $42,190 | $36,700 | $20 | +5.3% | 77,250 |
| 22 | Florida | $41,840 | $36,150 | $20 | +4.4% | 207,180 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $39,590 | $33,770 | $19 | -1.2% | 13,310 |
| 24 | Kansas | $39,170 | $36,120 | $19 | -2.2% | 19,480 |
| 25 | Missouri | $38,620 | $29,400 | $19 | -3.6% | 41,640 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $38,350 | $35,380 | $18 | -4.3% | 8,600 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $38,110 | $34,690 | $18 | -4.9% | 82,300 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $37,850 | $32,150 | $18 | -5.5% | 71,940 |
| 29 | Utah | $37,360 | $31,150 | $18 | -6.7% | 17,790 |
| 30 | Nevada | $36,870 | $26,410 | $18 | -8% | 42,520 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $36,250 | $30,890 | $17 | -9.5% | 5,250 |
| 32 | Illinois | $35,610 | $31,200 | $17 | -11.1% | 72,900 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $35,410 | $29,660 | $17 | -11.6% | 27,150 |
| 34 | Idaho | $35,320 | $30,050 | $17 | -11.8% | 10,950 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $34,570 | $29,670 | $17 | -13.7% | 36,220 |
| 36 | Alaska | $33,640 | $26,310 | $16 | -16% | 3,830 |
| 37 | Indiana | $31,170 | $28,480 | $15 | -22.2% | 43,620 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $31,120 | $23,920 | $15 | -22.3% | 3,620 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $30,860 | $28,990 | $15 | -23% | 7,350 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $30,060 | $25,470 | $14 | -25% | 37,630 |
| 41 | Texas | $29,750 | $23,240 | $14 | -25.7% | 199,610 |
| 42 | Montana | $29,180 | $23,370 | $14 | -27.2% | 7,200 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $29,070 | $27,760 | $14 | -27.4% | 52,120 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $29,050 | $24,680 | $14 | -27.5% | 17,880 |
| 45 | Alabama | $27,200 | $26,840 | $13 | -32.1% | 28,760 |
| 46 | Iowa | $26,940 | $21,000 | $13 | -32.8% | 22,410 |
| 47 | Georgia | $26,610 | $18,700 | $13 | -33.6% | 76,470 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $25,900 | $18,370 | $12 | -35.3% | 47,200 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $25,870 | $17,910 | $12 | -35.4% | 27,000 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $24,680 | $21,370 | $12 | -38.4% | 15,190 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $22,350 | $15,080 | $11 | -44.2% | 33,870 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 520 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $82,550 | $87,210 | 2,700 |
| 2 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $63,690 | $69,470 | 2,840 |
| 3 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $61,620 | $61,070 | 1,510 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $60,250 | $61,880 | 8,550 |
| 5 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $60,110 | $59,420 | 1,240 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57,280 | $62,940 | 26,530 |
| 7 | Walla Walla, WA | $56,730 | $58,210 | 340 |
| 8 | Bellingham, WA | $56,700 | $59,820 | 1,450 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55,270 | $61,770 | 1,370 |
| 10 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $54,870 | $57,990 | 410 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing waiters and waitressess (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $79,660 | $73,230 | — |
| 2 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $79,660 | $80,240 | — |
| 3 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $79,660 | $73,230 | — |
| 4 | Technical and Trade Schools | $76,010 | $59,190 | 40 |
| 5 | Technical and Trade Schools, Privately Owned | $76,010 | $61,370 | 40 |
| 6 | Florists | $64,310 | $49,420 | 40 |
| 7 | Other Schools and Instruction | $51,420 | $47,740 | 50 |
| 8 | Other Schools and Instruction, Privately Owned | $51,420 | $47,740 | 50 |
| 9 | Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $45,350 | $63,270 | 2,220 |
| 10 | Other Personal Services | $44,700 | $41,390 | 400 |
| 11 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $41,290 | $41,010 | — |
| 12 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $41,290 | $41,010 | — |
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 waiters and waitresses make in the U.S.?
The median waiters and waitresses salary in the United States is $35,230 per year (mean $40,060), and about 80% earn between $18,100 and $64,720.
How much do waiters and waitresses make per hour?
Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $40,060 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays waiters and waitresses the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for waiters and waitresses at $68,260 per year (median $62,390).
What is the job outlook for waiters and waitresses?
Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 456,700 openings per year.