Skip to content
TachlisUS · Real prices. No fluff.
Gas prices todayFree calculators
Home › Salaries › Waiters and Waitresses

Waiters and Waitresses salary

Waiters and Waitresses earn a median of $35,230 a year ($16.94/hr) in the U.S. – from $15,080 in Louisiana to $62,390 in Hawaii. Enter your pay below to see how you compare.

On this page:Pay rangeCompare my payBy stateFAQ
Median pay, United States
$16.94/hr · $35,230 a year
2,270,910 jobs nationwide. That is 31% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Source: BLS, May 2025.

Pay range

10th percentile
90% earn more$18,100$8.70/hr
25th percentile
75% earn more$27,750$13.34/hr
Median (50th)
half earn more, half less$35,230$16.94/hr
75th percentile
25% earn more$47,110$22.65/hr
90th percentile
top 10% earn more$64,720$31.12/hr
Average (mean)
pulled up by top earners$40,060$19.26/hr

How does my pay compare?

Enter your pay to see where you stand among waiters and waitresses. Nothing you type leaves your device.

Pay by state

States ranked by median annual wage for waiters and waitresses. Tap a state for its minimum wage.

1. Hawaii
14,090 jobs · $29.99/hr$62,390
2. Vermont
4,040 jobs · $28.43/hr$59,140
3. Washington
45,400 jobs · $26.98/hr$56,130
4. Oregon
23,040 jobs · $23.27/hr$48,410
5. District of Columbia
11,530 jobs · $23.01/hr$47,850
6. New York
142,940 jobs · $22.61/hr$47,020
7. New Jersey
55,800 jobs · $21.62/hr$44,960
8. Colorado
40,680 jobs · $21.57/hr$44,860
9. Virginia
59,370 jobs · $21.52/hr$44,760
10. Arizona
55,950 jobs · $21.13/hr$43,950
11. Maine
9,090 jobs · $20.85/hr$43,370
12. Massachusetts
54,670 jobs · $18.49/hr$38,460
13. New Hampshire
10,030 jobs · $18.48/hr$38,430
14. Connecticut
22,370 jobs · $18.16/hr$37,770
15. Michigan
65,090 jobs · $18.16/hr$37,760
16. New Mexico
12,740 jobs · $17.75/hr$36,920
17. Delaware
7,580 jobs · $17.73/hr$36,880
18. Maryland
38,120 jobs · $17.67/hr$36,750
19. Ohio
77,250 jobs · $17.65/hr$36,700
20. Florida
207,180 jobs · $17.38/hr$36,150
21. Kansas
19,480 jobs · $17.36/hr$36,120
22. California
229,970 jobs · $17.35/hr$36,080
23. Rhode Island
10,160 jobs · $17.03/hr$35,420
24. West Virginia
8,600 jobs · $17.01/hr$35,380
25. Pennsylvania
82,300 jobs · $16.68/hr$34,690
26. Nebraska
13,310 jobs · $16.24/hr$33,770
27. North Carolina
71,940 jobs · $15.46/hr$32,150
28. Illinois
72,900 jobs · $15.00/hr$31,200
29. Utah
17,790 jobs · $14.98/hr$31,150
30. North Dakota
5,250 jobs · $14.85/hr$30,890
31. Idaho
10,950 jobs · $14.45/hr$30,050
32. Wisconsin
36,220 jobs · $14.26/hr$29,670
33. Kentucky
27,150 jobs · $14.26/hr$29,660
34. Missouri
41,640 jobs · $14.13/hr$29,400
35. South Dakota
7,350 jobs · $13.94/hr$28,990
36. Indiana
43,620 jobs · $13.69/hr$28,480
37. Tennessee
52,120 jobs · $13.35/hr$27,760
38. Alabama
28,760 jobs · $12.91/hr$26,840
39. Nevada
42,520 jobs · $12.70/hr$26,410
40. Alaska
3,830 jobs · $12.65/hr$26,310
41. Minnesota
37,630 jobs · $12.25/hr$25,470
42. Arkansas
17,880 jobs · $11.86/hr$24,680
43. Wyoming
3,620 jobs · $11.50/hr$23,920
44. Montana
7,200 jobs · $11.23/hr$23,370
45. Texas
199,610 jobs · $11.18/hr$23,240
46. Puerto Rico
12,260 jobs · $10.96/hr$22,790
47. Mississippi
15,190 jobs · $10.27/hr$21,370
48. Iowa
22,410 jobs · $10.10/hr$21,000
49. Georgia
76,470 jobs · $8.99/hr$18,700
50. South Carolina
47,200 jobs · $8.83/hr$18,370
51. Oklahoma
27,000 jobs · $8.61/hr$17,910
52. Louisiana
33,870 jobs · $7.25/hr$15,080
Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200Cooks, Restaurant$37,390First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080Food Preparation Workers$35,320Bartenders$34,340Cooks, Fast Food$30,890Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980Dishwashers$34,810

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC code 35-3031. Wages exclude the self-employed. All jobs · Minimum wage by state

Questions & answers

How much do waiters and waitresses make?

The median wage for waiters and waitresses in the U.S. was $16.94 an hour or $35,230 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $27,750 and $47,110 a year.

Which state pays waiters and waitresses the most?

Hawaii has the highest median wage for waiters and waitresses: $62,390 a year. The lowest published median is in Louisiana at $15,080. Living costs also differ a lot between states.

How many waiters and waitresses are there?

BLS estimates 2,270,910 waiters and waitresses were employed in the U.S. in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

What is the difference between median and average pay?

The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average (mean) adds everyone up and divides, so a few very high earners pull it up. The median is usually the better guide to typical pay.

What does the 10th or 90th percentile mean?

The 10th percentile is the wage that only 10% of workers earn less than – often entry-level pay. The 90th percentile is the wage that only 10% earn more than – usually the most experienced or highest-paid workers.