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How Much Does a Host and Hostess, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Make?

A host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the US earns a median salary of $31,200 a year, or $15.00 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $32,690, and the middle half earn between $27,570 and $36,250.

Median a year $31,200
Median an hour $15.00
Median a month $2,600
Average a year $32,690

Host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay range

What hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $22,340 $10.74
25th $27,570 $13.25
Median (50th) $31,200 $15.00
75th $36,250 $17.43
90th (top 10%) $43,990 $21.15

The median is 39% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 432,690 people work as hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$600
Every two weeks
$1,200
Twice a month
$1,300
A month
$2,600

At the median salary, before tax.

Host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop the most, at $45,330 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Hawaii $45,330 $47,070 2,650 After tax
Oregon $42,600 $40,720 5,740 After tax
Washington $42,140 $37,270 9,530 After tax
District of Columbia $41,340 $37,570 2,450 After tax
New York $40,100 $36,490 18,640 After tax
California $39,900 $36,640 41,100 After tax
Colorado $39,250 $36,340 9,490 After tax
Maine $39,050 $36,800 1,460 After tax
Arizona $37,960 $34,740 10,710 After tax
Virgin Islands $36,990 $33,540 90
Connecticut $36,000 $34,210 3,670 After tax
New Jersey $35,800 $34,050 9,420 After tax
Vermont $35,670 $31,080 1,060 After tax
Massachusetts $35,420 $34,960 13,540 After tax
Maryland $35,110 $34,860 7,390 After tax
Nevada $35,010 $31,170 6,570 After tax
Illinois $34,750 $31,200 16,500 After tax
Rhode Island $34,330 $31,400 – After tax
Alaska $33,840 $30,210 740 After tax
Virginia $33,240 $30,490 10,890 After tax
Florida $33,170 $29,810 37,100 After tax
New Hampshire $32,900 $33,920 2,130 After tax
Delaware $32,600 $31,200 1,680 After tax
Missouri $32,440 $29,130 8,510 After tax
Utah $31,670 $29,610 4,950 After tax
Minnesota $31,620 $30,200 7,150 After tax
Nebraska $31,480 $28,450 2,830 After tax
Michigan $31,010 $28,950 12,620 After tax
South Dakota $31,000 $30,310 630 After tax
Iowa $30,690 $28,210 2,630 After tax
New Mexico $30,220 $28,480 2,670 After tax
Pennsylvania $30,020 $29,170 18,020 After tax
North Dakota $29,970 $28,660 800 After tax
Ohio $29,370 $27,550 15,480 After tax
Montana $29,320 $28,910 1,260 After tax
Kansas $28,650 $28,110 4,540 After tax
Wisconsin $28,440 $28,060 6,430 After tax
North Carolina $28,120 $28,320 15,160 After tax
Indiana $27,730 $26,920 9,730 After tax
Tennessee $27,690 $27,490 11,280 After tax
Arkansas $27,560 $26,760 3,110 After tax
Georgia $27,170 $27,850 17,300 After tax
Texas $27,100 $27,080 35,550 After tax
Kentucky $26,900 $27,100 5,120 After tax
South Carolina $26,870 $27,000 7,990 After tax
Oklahoma $26,860 $24,740 5,060 After tax
Alabama $26,530 $26,130 5,400 After tax
Idaho $26,370 $27,280 2,360 After tax
West Virginia $25,510 $24,420 1,580 After tax
Wyoming $25,430 $22,660 660 After tax
Mississippi $23,510 $21,990 2,660 After tax
Louisiana $23,320 $22,060 6,440 After tax
Puerto Rico $23,290 $22,480 1,270
Guam $20,940 $20,450 250

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other food preparation and serving jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop” (SOC 35-9031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop is $15.00, and the average is $15.72. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $10.74 an hour and the top 10% over $21.15.

How much does a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make a month?

At the median salary of $31,200, a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earns about $2,600 a month before tax, or $1,200 every two weeks.

Which state pays hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, at $45,330 a year. Next are Oregon and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a host and hostess, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?

The lowest-paid 10% of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn less than $22,340 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $27,570. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make?

The top 10% earn more than $43,990 a year, and the top 25% more than $36,250.