Waiters and waitresses salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18,100 | $8.70 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| Mean (average) | $40,060 | $19.26 |
| 90th percentile | $64,720 | $31.12 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Waiters and waitresses pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,840 | $16,550 | $36,090 | 28,760 | 0.93 |
| Alaska | $26,310 | $24,770 | $64,080 | 3,830 | 0.8 |
| Arizona | $43,950 | $30,580 | $78,920 | 55,950 | 1.18 |
| Arkansas | $24,680 | $23,040 | $43,810 | 17,880 | 0.94 |
| California | $36,080 | $34,320 | $68,950 | 229,970 | 0.86 |
| Colorado | $44,860 | $30,800 | $78,160 | 40,680 | 0.97 |
| Connecticut | $37,770 | $34,010 | $72,060 | 22,370 | 0.9 |
| Delaware | $36,880 | $31,200 | $62,000 | 7,580 | 1.07 |
| District of Columbia | $47,850 | $36,400 | $100,240 | 11,530 | 1.12 |
| Florida | $36,150 | $27,230 | $63,580 | 207,180 | 1.43 |
| Georgia | $18,700 | $15,080 | $46,860 | 76,470 | 1.07 |
| Guam | $20,320 | $19,920 | $23,170 | 1,550 | 1.59 |
| Hawaii | $62,390 | $29,120 | $119,870 | 14,090 | 1.54 |
| Idaho | $30,050 | $16,770 | $62,220 | 10,950 | 0.87 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $49,470 | 72,900 | 0.82 |
| Indiana | $28,480 | $17,640 | $48,350 | 43,620 | 0.93 |
| Iowa | $21,000 | $15,080 | $47,980 | 22,410 | 0.98 |
| Kansas | $36,120 | $17,370 | $62,890 | 19,480 | 0.93 |
| Kentucky | $29,660 | $16,520 | $62,030 | 27,150 | 0.93 |
| Louisiana | $15,080 | $15,080 | $38,060 | 33,870 | 1.2 |
| Maine | $43,370 | $30,490 | $82,930 | 9,090 | 0.97 |
| Maryland | $36,750 | $31,200 | $62,210 | 38,120 | 0.94 |
| Massachusetts | $38,460 | $31,790 | $62,200 | 54,670 | 1.03 |
| Michigan | $37,760 | $25,960 | $64,350 | 65,090 | 1.01 |
| Minnesota | $25,470 | $23,150 | $41,800 | 37,630 | 0.87 |
| Mississippi | $21,370 | $15,330 | $39,420 | 15,190 | 0.89 |
| Missouri | $29,400 | $28,600 | $61,440 | 41,640 | 0.97 |
| Montana | $23,370 | $21,940 | $45,420 | 7,200 | 0.96 |
| Nebraska | $33,770 | $28,080 | $59,420 | 13,310 | 0.89 |
| Nevada | $26,410 | $24,960 | $50,140 | 42,520 | 1.88 |
| New Hampshire | $38,430 | $21,060 | $72,810 | 10,030 | 1.01 |
| New Jersey | $44,960 | $32,220 | $78,510 | 55,800 | 0.89 |
| New Mexico | $36,920 | $26,670 | $69,410 | 12,740 | 1 |
| New York | $47,020 | $33,540 | $83,210 | 142,940 | 1.01 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 | $17,140 | $62,670 | 71,940 | 1 |
| North Dakota | $30,890 | $18,470 | $60,570 | 5,250 | 0.84 |
| Ohio | $36,700 | $23,820 | $63,740 | 77,250 | 0.95 |
| Oklahoma | $17,910 | $15,230 | $47,630 | 27,000 | 1.08 |
| Oregon | $48,410 | $31,200 | $77,620 | 23,040 | 0.8 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,690 | $18,400 | $61,780 | 82,300 | 0.93 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,790 | $21,840 | $44,140 | 12,260 | 0.89 |
| Rhode Island | $35,420 | $31,200 | $62,680 | 10,160 | 1.39 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 | $15,080 | $46,820 | 47,200 | 1.4 |
| South Dakota | $28,990 | $27,030 | $37,290 | 7,350 | 1.1 |
| Tennessee | $27,760 | $15,080 | $47,660 | 52,120 | 1.09 |
| Texas | $23,240 | $17,070 | $47,590 | 199,610 | 0.97 |
| Utah | $31,150 | $18,550 | $60,320 | 17,790 | 0.7 |
| Vermont | $59,140 | $29,690 | $89,330 | 4,040 | 0.91 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,340 | $23,200 | $80,510 | 690 | 1.47 |
| Virginia | $44,760 | $28,270 | $74,130 | 59,370 | 0.99 |
| Washington | $56,130 | $36,710 | $94,930 | 45,400 | 0.88 |
| West Virginia | $35,380 | $20,230 | $60,560 | 8,600 | 0.84 |
| Wisconsin | $29,670 | $16,830 | $61,770 | 36,220 | 0.84 |
| Wyoming | $23,920 | $18,000 | $56,260 | 3,620 | 0.88 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for waiters and waitresses
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 423,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for waiters and waitresses
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Collect payments from customers.
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
Technology skills
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Blink
- Compris Advanced Manager's Workstation
- Compris software
- Hospitality Control Solutions Aloha Point-of-Sale
- Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale
- MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series
- NCR Advanced Checkout Solution
- NCR NeighborhoodPOS
- The General Store
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.
Common job titles: Banquet Server, Busser, Cocktail Server, Food Runner, Food Server, Restaurant Server, Room Service Server, Server, Waiter, Waitress.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make?
The national median annual wage for waiters and waitresses was $35,230 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $18,100 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $64,720. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do waiters and waitresses need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is waiters and waitresses a growing career?
BLS projects employment of waiters and waitresses to change +2.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 423,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay waiters and waitresses the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Hawaii ($62,390), Vermont ($59,140), Washington ($56,130). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.