Waiters and Waitresses pay in the U.S.
$40,060avg. a year
$19.26 an hour · 2,270,910 employed
Waiters and Waitresses in the U.S. earn an average of $40,060 a year and a median of $35,230. Pay is highest in Hawaii ($68,260) and lowest in Louisiana ($22,350).
$35,230Median pay
$19.26Average hourly
+46%Avg. pay since 2020
2,270,910Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for waiters and waitresses
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
114,090 jobs
Hawaii
$68,260
$32.82 an hour
245,400 jobs
Washington
$60,590
$29.13 an hour
311,530 jobs
District of Columbia
$59,510
$28.61 an hour
44,040 jobs
Vermont
$58,850
$28.29 an hour
5142,940 jobs
New York
$54,750
$26.32 an hour
623,040 jobs
Oregon
$52,400
$25.19 an hour
79,090 jobs
Maine
$51,260
$24.65 an hour
840,680 jobs
Colorado
$51,240
$24.64 an hour
955,950 jobs
Arizona
$51,170
$24.60 an hour
1055,800 jobs
New Jersey
$50,260
$24.16 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Waiters and Waitresses pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $31k$31k–$38k$38k–$45k$45k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $87,210 | $41.93 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $62,940 | $30.26 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $61,880 | $29.75 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $61,770 | $29.70 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $61,070 | $29.36 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $59,860 | $28.78 |
| Bellingham, WA | $59,820 | $28.76 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $58,600 | $28.17 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Waiters and Waitresses pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27,200 | $26,840 | 28,760 |
| Alaska | $33,640 | $26,310 | 3,830 |
| Arizona | $51,170 | $43,950 | 55,950 |
| Arkansas | $29,050 | $24,680 | 17,880 |
| California | $44,600 | $36,080 | 229,970 |
| Colorado | $51,240 | $44,860 | 40,680 |
| Connecticut | $46,220 | $37,770 | 22,370 |
| Delaware | $43,070 | $36,880 | 7,580 |
| District of Columbia | $59,510 | $47,850 | 11,530 |
| Florida | $41,840 | $36,150 | 207,180 |
| Georgia | $26,610 | $18,700 | 76,470 |
| Hawaii | $68,260 | $62,390 | 14,090 |
| Idaho | $35,320 | $30,050 | 10,950 |
| Illinois | $35,610 | $31,200 | 72,900 |
| Indiana | $31,170 | $28,480 | 43,620 |
| Iowa | $26,940 | $21,000 | 22,410 |
| Kansas | $39,170 | $36,120 | 19,480 |
| Kentucky | $35,410 | $29,660 | 27,150 |
| Louisiana | $22,350 | $15,080 | 33,870 |
| Maine | $51,260 | $43,370 | 9,090 |
| Maryland | $43,950 | $36,750 | 38,120 |
| Massachusetts | $44,480 | $38,460 | 54,670 |
| Michigan | $44,910 | $37,760 | 65,090 |
| Minnesota | $30,060 | $25,470 | 37,630 |
| Mississippi | $24,680 | $21,370 | 15,190 |
| Missouri | $38,620 | $29,400 | 41,640 |
| Montana | $29,180 | $23,370 | 7,200 |
| Nebraska | $39,590 | $33,770 | 13,310 |
| Nevada | $36,870 | $26,410 | 42,520 |
| New Hampshire | $43,380 | $38,430 | 10,030 |
| New Jersey | $50,260 | $44,960 | 55,800 |
| New Mexico | $43,210 | $36,920 | 12,740 |
| New York | $54,750 | $47,020 | 142,940 |
| North Carolina | $37,850 | $32,150 | 71,940 |
| North Dakota | $36,250 | $30,890 | 5,250 |
| Ohio | $42,190 | $36,700 | 77,250 |
| Oklahoma | $25,870 | $17,910 | 27,000 |
| Oregon | $52,400 | $48,410 | 23,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,110 | $34,690 | 82,300 |
| Rhode Island | $42,740 | $35,420 | 10,160 |
| South Carolina | $25,900 | $18,370 | 47,200 |
| South Dakota | $30,860 | $28,990 | 7,350 |
| Tennessee | $29,070 | $27,760 | 52,120 |
| Texas | $29,750 | $23,240 | 199,610 |
| Utah | $37,360 | $31,150 | 17,790 |
| Vermont | $58,850 | $59,140 | 4,040 |
| Virginia | $46,680 | $44,760 | 59,370 |
| Washington | $60,590 | $56,130 | 45,400 |
| West Virginia | $38,350 | $35,380 | 8,600 |
| Wisconsin | $34,570 | $29,670 | 36,220 |
| Wyoming | $31,120 | $23,920 | 3,620 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$55,000
138,720 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$42,640
85,210 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$41,120
57,830 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$35,650
54,100 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$30,530
53,460 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$29,180
51,330 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$51,820
46,160 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$26,870
45,880 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do waiters and waitresses make?
The average is $40,060 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $35,230 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $19.26, and the median is $16.94 an hour.
Which state pays waiters and waitresses the most?
Hawaii, with an average of $68,260 a year. The best-paying metro area is Kahului-Wailuku, HI at $87,210.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18,100 a year, and the top 10% earn over $64,720.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-3031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.