Waiters and Waitresses
United States. Estimated employment 2,270,910, with pages for 194 metro areas below.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 35-3031
Fig. 1 — The wage rule
Where you sit in the distribution
Drag the marker, or type a figure
$35,230 · 50th
$18,10010th
$27,75025th
$35,23050th
$47,11075th
$64,72090th
That is the median — half of waiters and waitresses in the US earn more.
Table 1 — By metro area
Where it pays
Every published Waiters and Waitresses page, by median pay. Employment is the BLS estimate for the metro.
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $57,280 | 26,530 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $56,730 | 340 |
| Bellingham, WA | $56,700 | 1,450 |
| Bremerton, WA | $55,270 | 1,370 |
| Longview, WA | $54,870 | 410 |
| Portland, OR | $54,780 | 13,910 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $53,060 | 830 |
| Olympia, WA | $53,000 | 1,410 |
| Kennewick, WA | $51,460 | 1,510 |
| Bend, OR | $50,480 | 1,750 |
| Medford, OR | $50,440 | 1,130 |
| Boulder, CO | $49,870 | 2,670 |
| Albany, NY | $48,980 | 6,310 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $48,950 | 330 |
| Salem, OR | $48,720 | 1,850 |
| Syracuse, NY | $47,640 | 3,430 |
| New York, NY | $47,610 | 138,720 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $47,530 | 39,920 |
| Albany, OR | $47,440 | 380 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $47,360 | 2,740 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $46,950 | 3,930 |
| Binghamton, NY | $46,600 | 1,390 |
| Corvallis, OR | $46,600 | 520 |
| Buffalo, NY | $46,580 | 7,990 |
| Greeley, CO | $46,480 | 1,300 |
| Kingston, NY | $46,440 | 1,280 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $46,230 | 4,330 |
| Elmira, NY | $46,160 | 480 |
| Washington, DC | $46,040 | 46,160 |
| Pueblo, CO | $45,500 | 850 |
| Muskegon, MI | $44,920 | 930 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $44,760 | 1,150 |
| Flint, MI | $44,030 | 2,120 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $44,030 | 2,140 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $43,730 | 1,020 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $42,930 | 8,080 |
| Eugene, OR | $42,930 | 1,950 |
| San Jose, CA | $41,920 | 12,600 |
| Traverse City, MI | $41,380 | 1,610 |
| Bay City, MI | $40,500 | 570 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $40,230 | 2,710 |
| Jackson, MI | $39,920 | 810 |
| Denver, CO | $39,650 | 20,750 |
| Saginaw, MI | $39,430 | 1,470 |
| Boston, MA | $39,270 | 41,570 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $39,020 | 13,100 |
| San Francisco, CA | $38,860 | 29,080 |
| Richmond, VA | $38,470 | 9,120 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $38,380 | 2,970 |
| Staunton, VA | $37,910 | 690 |
| Winchester, VA | $37,680 | 990 |
| Blacksburg, VA | $37,670 | 1,080 |
| Naples, FL | $37,550 | 6,610 |
| Detroit, MI | $37,490 | 29,210 |
| Columbus, OH | $37,490 | 15,900 |
| Roanoke, VA | $37,380 | 2,220 |
| Crestview, FL | $37,370 | 4,430 |
| Napa, CA | $37,130 | 1,930 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $37,080 | 2,210 |
| Tampa, FL | $37,070 | 25,280 |
| Worcester, MA | $36,840 | 4,610 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $36,830 | 3,670 |
| Lima, OH | $36,720 | 680 |
| Palm Bay, FL | $36,670 | 5,080 |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | $36,670 | 1,840 |
| Cape Coral, FL | $36,660 | 7,980 |
| North Port, FL | $36,660 | 9,200 |
| Amherst Town, MA | $36,650 | 980 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $36,630 | 13,140 |
| Vallejo, CA | $36,610 | 1,660 |
| Dayton, OH | $36,600 | 4,700 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $36,570 | 41,900 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $36,530 | 17,790 |
| Tucson, AZ | $36,490 | 7,300 |
| Charlotte, NC | $36,430 | 19,990 |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | $36,370 | 1,190 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $36,360 | 1,780 |
| Cleveland, OH | $36,260 | 14,120 |
| Canton, OH | $36,210 | 2,690 |
| Baltimore, MD | $36,170 | 19,590 |
| Springfield, MA | $36,170 | 2,670 |
| Akron, OH | $36,150 | 4,680 |
| Toledo, OH | $36,140 | 4,600 |
| Yuma, AZ | $36,120 | 1,000 |
| Kansas City, MO | $36,080 | 16,540 |
| Miami, FL | $36,070 | 57,830 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $35,950 | 1,150 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $35,930 | 1,640 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $35,850 | 85,210 |
| San Diego, CA | $35,850 | 24,050 |
| Providence, RI | $35,750 | 13,600 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $35,550 | 1,020 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $35,470 | 16,120 |
| Orlando, FL | $35,410 | 36,820 |
| State College, PA | $35,280 | 1,350 |
| Durham, NC | $35,230 | 3,560 |
| Salisbury, MD | $35,080 | 690 |
| Sacramento, CA | $35,070 | 13,460 |
| Lexington, KY | $34,910 | 5,020 |
| Raleigh, NC | $34,860 | 10,290 |
| Riverside, CA | $34,800 | 20,810 |
| Allentown, PA | $34,630 | 5,310 |
| Hagerstown, MD | $34,470 | 1,320 |
| Asheville, NC | $34,450 | 3,250 |
| Harrisburg, PA | $34,260 | 3,920 |
| Pinehurst, NC | $34,080 | 1,040 |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | $34,020 | 600 |
| York, PA | $33,750 | 2,340 |
| Lancaster, PA | $32,190 | 3,520 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $31,390 | 660 |
| Chicago, IL | $31,200 | 54,100 |
| St. Louis, MO | $31,200 | 20,170 |
| Bloomington, IL | $31,200 | 1,370 |
| Champaign, IL | $31,200 | 1,500 |
| Decatur, IL | $31,200 | 530 |
| Kankakee, IL | $31,200 | 550 |
| Peoria, IL | $31,200 | 2,340 |
| Rockford, IL | $31,200 | 1,710 |
| Springfield, IL | $31,200 | 1,600 |
| Madison, WI | $30,910 | 5,130 |
| Wilmington, NC | $30,610 | 4,920 |
| St. Joseph, MO | $30,490 | 600 |
| Appleton, WI | $30,370 | 1,490 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $30,330 | 10,020 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $30,280 | 820 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $30,270 | 760 |
| Louisville, KY | $30,180 | 10,220 |
| Greensboro, NC | $30,060 | 5,210 |
| Racine, WI | $30,020 | 850 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $29,980 | 640 |
| Oshkosh, WI | $29,840 | 950 |
| Owensboro, KY | $29,790 | 780 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $29,720 | 1,160 |
| Green Bay, WI | $29,610 | 2,170 |
| Winston, NC | $29,550 | 3,940 |
| Nashville, TN | $29,390 | 19,490 |
| Springfield, MO | $29,350 | 3,050 |
| Paducah, KY | $29,280 | 1,010 |
| Columbia, MO | $29,250 | 2,120 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $29,050 | 15,830 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $28,810 | 1,250 |
| South Bend, IN | $28,740 | 1,970 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO | $28,710 | 820 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $28,650 | 3,150 |
| Joplin, MO | $28,600 | 1,220 |
| Evansville, IN | $28,550 | 2,070 |
| Bloomington, IN | $28,540 | 1,620 |
| Kokomo, IN | $28,420 | 690 |
| Lafayette, IN | $28,420 | 1,490 |
| Michigan City, IN | $28,260 | 680 |
| Kingsport, TN | $28,210 | 1,800 |
| San Antonio, TX | $28,110 | 20,320 |
| Knoxville, TN | $28,100 | 7,260 |
| Morristown, TN | $27,370 | 630 |
| Austin, TX | $27,260 | 19,170 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $27,110 | 36,160 |
| Carson City, NV | $26,670 | 390 |
| Sherman, TX | $26,290 | 780 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $25,920 | 25,620 |
| Reno, NV | $25,700 | 4,220 |
| Memphis, TN | $24,550 | 8,060 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $24,240 | 4,790 |
| Dallas, TX | $24,160 | 53,460 |
| Rochester, MN | $24,060 | 1,620 |
| Midland, TX | $23,700 | 1,560 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $23,520 | 1,070 |
| Texarkana, TX | $23,330 | 970 |
| Mankato, MN | $23,330 | 770 |
| Cleveland, TN | $23,300 | 720 |
| Duluth, MN | $23,150 | 2,100 |
| Waco, TX | $23,010 | 1,680 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $22,980 | 840 |
| Houston, TX | $22,080 | 51,330 |
| Johnson City, TN | $22,070 | 1,460 |
| Athens, GA | $21,090 | 2,030 |
| Rome, GA | $20,980 | 740 |
| Savannah, GA | $20,830 | 4,940 |
| Columbus, GA | $20,800 | 2,080 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $19,070 | 1,350 |
| Valdosta, GA | $18,510 | 1,150 |
| Atlanta, GA | $18,460 | 45,880 |
| Augusta, GA | $18,390 | 3,820 |
| Tulsa, OK | $18,350 | 7,460 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $18,200 | 11,560 |
| Lawton, OK | $17,150 | 700 |
| Enid, OK | $16,650 | 390 |
| New Orleans, LA | $16,640 | 10,050 |
| Alexandria, LA | $15,080 | 750 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $15,080 | 6,650 |
| Hammond, LA | $15,080 | 1,050 |
| Houma, LA | $15,080 | 1,210 |
| Lafayette, LA | $15,080 | 3,410 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $15,080 | 1,950 |
| Monroe, LA | $15,080 | 1,370 |
Sources
How this page was made
- Wage data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
- Employment
- 2,270,910 employed in this occupation nationally (BLS estimate; excludes the self-employed).
- Occupation
- SOC 35-3031, Waiters and Waitresses. Mapped to our taxonomy as waiters-and-waitresses.
Percentiles are reported exactly as released and are never interpolated between published values. We take no payment from employers, recruiters or anyone else for how any figure is presented.