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How Much Does a Waiter Make?
A waiter in the US earns a median salary of $35,230 a year, or $16.94 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $40,060, and the middle half earn between $27,750 and $47,110.
Waiter pay range
What waiters 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%) | $18,100 | $8.70 | |
| 25th | $27,750 | $13.34 | |
| Median (50th) | $35,230 | $16.94 | |
| 75th | $47,110 | $22.65 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $64,720 | $31.12 |
The median is 31% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 2,270,910 people work as waiters in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $678
- Every two weeks
- $1,355
- Twice a month
- $1,468
- A month
- $2,936
At the median salary, before tax.
Waiter salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays waiters the most, at $68,260 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $68,260 | $62,390 | 14,090 | After tax |
| Washington | $60,590 | $56,130 | 45,400 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $59,510 | $47,850 | 11,530 | After tax |
| Vermont | $58,850 | $59,140 | 4,040 | After tax |
| New York | $54,750 | $47,020 | 142,940 | After tax |
| Oregon | $52,400 | $48,410 | 23,040 | After tax |
| Maine | $51,260 | $43,370 | 9,090 | After tax |
| Colorado | $51,240 | $44,860 | 40,680 | After tax |
| Arizona | $51,170 | $43,950 | 55,950 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $50,260 | $44,960 | 55,800 | After tax |
| Virginia | $46,680 | $44,760 | 59,370 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $46,220 | $37,770 | 22,370 | After tax |
| Michigan | $44,910 | $37,760 | 65,090 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $44,640 | $36,340 | 690 | |
| California | $44,600 | $36,080 | 229,970 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $44,480 | $38,460 | 54,670 | After tax |
| Maryland | $43,950 | $36,750 | 38,120 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $43,380 | $38,430 | 10,030 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $43,210 | $36,920 | 12,740 | After tax |
| Delaware | $43,070 | $36,880 | 7,580 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $42,740 | $35,420 | 10,160 | After tax |
| Ohio | $42,190 | $36,700 | 77,250 | After tax |
| Florida | $41,840 | $36,150 | 207,180 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $39,590 | $33,770 | 13,310 | After tax |
| Kansas | $39,170 | $36,120 | 19,480 | After tax |
| Missouri | $38,620 | $29,400 | 41,640 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $38,350 | $35,380 | 8,600 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $38,110 | $34,690 | 82,300 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $37,850 | $32,150 | 71,940 | After tax |
| Utah | $37,360 | $31,150 | 17,790 | After tax |
| Nevada | $36,870 | $26,410 | 42,520 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $36,250 | $30,890 | 5,250 | After tax |
| Illinois | $35,610 | $31,200 | 72,900 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $35,410 | $29,660 | 27,150 | After tax |
| Idaho | $35,320 | $30,050 | 10,950 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $34,570 | $29,670 | 36,220 | After tax |
| Alaska | $33,640 | $26,310 | 3,830 | After tax |
| Indiana | $31,170 | $28,480 | 43,620 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $31,120 | $23,920 | 3,620 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $30,860 | $28,990 | 7,350 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $30,060 | $25,470 | 37,630 | After tax |
| Texas | $29,750 | $23,240 | 199,610 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $29,690 | $22,790 | 12,260 | |
| Montana | $29,180 | $23,370 | 7,200 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $29,070 | $27,760 | 52,120 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $29,050 | $24,680 | 17,880 | After tax |
| Alabama | $27,200 | $26,840 | 28,760 | After tax |
| Iowa | $26,940 | $21,000 | 22,410 | After tax |
| Georgia | $26,610 | $18,700 | 76,470 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $25,900 | $18,370 | 47,200 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $25,870 | $17,910 | 27,000 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $24,680 | $21,370 | 15,190 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $22,350 | $15,080 | 33,870 | After tax |
| Guam | $21,250 | $20,320 | 1,550 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other food preparation and serving jobs
- Fast food worker $31,200 median
- Restaurant cook $37,390 median
- First-line supervisor of food preparation and serving workers $44,080 median
- Food preparation worker $35,320 median
- Bartender $34,340 median
- Fast food cook $30,890 median
- Dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper $33,980 median
- Dishwasher $34,810 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Waiters and Waitresses” (SOC 35-3031). 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 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a waiter make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a waiter is $16.94, and the average is $19.26. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $8.70 an hour and the top 10% over $31.12.
How much does a waiter make a month?
At the median salary of $35,230, a waiter earns about $2,936 a month before tax, or $1,355 every two weeks.
Which state pays waiters the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for a waiter, at $68,260 a year. Next are Washington and District of Columbia. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a waiter?
The lowest-paid 10% of waiters earn less than $18,100 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $27,750. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid waiters make?
The top 10% earn more than $64,720 a year, and the top 25% more than $47,110.
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