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Waitress salary
Average waitress salary
$11.91
How much does a waitress make?
The average waitress salary in the United States is $24,770. Waitress salaries typically range between $17,000 and $35,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for waitresses is $11.91 per hour.
Waitress salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Waitresses earn the highest average salary in New York.
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Where can a Waitress earn more?
Waitress salary estimates from across the web
Average waitress salary by state
The highest-paying states for waitresses are New York, Massachusetts, and California. The lowest average waitress salary states are North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Louisiana.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for waitresses
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $29,566 | $14.21 |
| 2 | New York | $32,853 | $15.79 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $26,407 | $12.70 |
| 4 | Colorado | $26,884 | $12.93 |
| 5 | Michigan | $24,916 | $11.98 |
| 6 | California | $30,740 | $14.78 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $34,940 | $16.80 |
| 8 | Vermont | $30,692 | $14.76 |
| 9 | Washington | $29,817 | $14.34 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $30,992 | $14.90 |
| 11 | Oregon | $27,788 | $13.36 |
| 12 | Illinois | $25,700 | $12.36 |
| 13 | Maine | $26,909 | $12.94 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $24,126 | $11.60 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $26,690 | $12.83 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $24,307 | $11.69 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $25,885 | $12.44 |
| 18 | Missouri | $23,893 | $11.49 |
| 19 | Delaware | $25,330 | $12.18 |
| 20 | Florida | $23,051 | $11.08 |
| 21 | Maryland | $26,208 | $12.60 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $22,190 | $10.67 |
| 23 | Nevada | $22,365 | $10.75 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $29,950 | $14.40 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $25,292 | $12.16 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $24,694 | $11.87 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $21,257 | $10.22 |
| 28 | Ohio | $21,723 | $10.44 |
| 29 | Kansas | $22,353 | $10.75 |
| 30 | Indiana | $21,752 | $10.46 |
| 31 | Iowa | $22,659 | $10.89 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $22,533 | $10.83 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $23,533 | $11.31 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $21,690 | $10.43 |
| 35 | Georgia | $22,232 | $10.69 |
| 36 | Virginia | $23,071 | $11.09 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $20,814 | $10.01 |
| 38 | Idaho | $22,240 | $10.69 |
| 39 | Utah | $22,038 | $10.60 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $20,508 | $9.86 |
| 41 | Texas | $19,482 | $9.37 |
| 42 | Alabama | $20,462 | $9.84 |
| 43 | Alaska | $23,303 | $11.20 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $21,369 | $10.27 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $20,230 | $9.73 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $19,549 | $9.40 |
| 47 | Montana | $19,394 | $9.32 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $20,895 | $10.05 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $18,371 | $8.83 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $19,790 | $9.51 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $20,442 | $9.83 |
Highest paying cities for waitresses
The highest-paying cities for waitresses are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $34,909 | $16.78 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $32,834 | $15.79 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $30,983 | $14.90 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $30,575 | $14.70 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $29,848 | $14.35 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $29,571 | $14.22 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $26,927 | $12.95 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $25,717 | $12.36 |
| 9 | Nashua, NH | $24,292 | $11.68 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $24,201 | $11.64 |
| 11 | Norfolk, VA | $23,075 | $11.09 |
| 12 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $23,071 | $11.09 |
| 13 | Mason City, IA | $22,626 | $10.88 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $22,375 | $10.76 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $22,241 | $10.69 |
| 16 | Sandy, UT | $22,009 | $10.58 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $21,678 | $10.42 |
| 18 | Santa Fe, NM | $21,327 | $10.25 |
| 19 | Lincoln, NE | $20,485 | $9.85 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $20,256 | $9.74 |
Waitresses are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Waitress salary details
A waitress's salary ranges from $17,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $35,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a waitress's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 75th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| Average | $24,770 | $2,064 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $20,000 | $1,667 | $10 |
| 10th Percentile | $17,000 | $1,417 | $8 |
Highest paying waitress jobs
The highest paying types of waitresses are caterer/server, bartender server, and fine dining server.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Runner | $25,536 | $2,128 | $12.28 | 240,853 |
| Restaurant Server | $24,558 | $2,047 | $11.81 | 141,250 |
| Food Server | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12.12 | 125,455 |
| Cook/Server | $29,716 | $2,476 | $14.29 | 257,582 |
| Bus Person | $24,058 | $2,005 | $11.57 | 47,277 |
| Fine Dining Server | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | 77,549 |
Top companies hiring waitresses now:
Which companies pay waitresses the most?
Waitress salaries at New York Institute of Technology and Watersedge Restaurant are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average waitress salary at companies like Pine Hollow Country Club and Country Club Roswell are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Institute of Technology | $43,735 | $21.03 |
| 2 | Watersedge Restaurant | $34,310 | $16.50 |
| 3 | Pine Hollow Country Club | $32,745 | $15.74 |
| 4 | Country Club Roswell | $32,722 | $15.73 |
| 5 | Kirby | $32,211 | $15.49 |
| 6 | Wequassett Resort and Golf Club | $32,038 | $15.40 |
| 7 | Erickson Senior Living | $31,431 | $15.11 |
| 8 | Radisson Hotels International Inc | $31,023 | $14.91 |
| 9 | Trinity Health | $30,704 | $14.76 |
| 10 | Hyatt Hotels | $30,419 | $14.62 |
| 11 | Transforming Age | $30,336 | $14.58 |
| 12 | Eastmont School District | $30,277 | $14.56 |
| 13 | Hyde Park Golf & Country Club | $29,546 | $14.20 |
| 14 | Peterson Meadows Retirement Community | $29,528 | $14.20 |
| 15 | Bertucci's | $29,299 | $14.09 |
| 16 | Main Event | $29,116 | $14.00 |
| 17 | Glory Days Grill | $29,038 | $13.96 |
| 18 | Five Star Senior Living | $28,740 | $13.82 |
| 19 | WesleyLife | $28,703 | $13.80 |
| 20 | Interstate Hotels & Resorts | $28,604 | $13.75 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Waitress salary trends
The average waitress salary has risen by $5,394 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average waitress earned $19,376 annually, but today, they earn $24,770 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for waitresses over the last decade.
Compare waitress salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average waitress salary over time
Compare waitress salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Waitress salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,800 | $11.91 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $23,900 | $11.48 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | $22,700 | $10.93 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $21,700 | $10.44 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $20,900 | $10.03 | +3.7% |
Recently added waitress salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aramark Corp | Wait Staff-Server for Log Cabin Resort | Port Angeles, WA | 12/17/2024 | $37,044 |
| Powdr Adventure Lifestyle Corporation | Aerie Back Waiter | Salt Lake City, UT | 12/16/2024 | $21,914 |
| Senior Carlton Living Inc. | Wait Staff-1St. Shift | Martinez, CA | 12/16/2024 | $35,479 |
| Sodexo S A | Wait Staff Non-Tipped | Cromwell, CT | 12/16/2024 | $33,392 |
| Accorhotels | Waiter | Cincinnati, OH | 12/16/2024 | $43,827 |
| Sodexo S A | Wait Staff Non-Tipped | Evansville, IN | 12/16/2024 | $26,171 |
| Sodexo S A | Wait Staff Non-Tipped | SeaTac, WA | 12/16/2024 | $41,135 |
| Sodexo S A | Airport Lounge Wait Staff | Chicago, IL | 12/16/2024 | $38,923 |
| Philadelphia International Airport | Wait Staff Non-Tipped | Philadelphia, PA | 12/16/2024 | $35,896 |
| Sodexo S A | Wait Staff Non-Tipped | Atlanta, GA | 12/16/2024 | $35,688 |
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