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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. Excludes “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (35-3023).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
2,579,020 0.5 % $12.88 $26,800 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.37 $9.11 $11.00 $14.24 $20.65
Annual Wage (2) $17,420 $18,950 $22,890 $29,620 $42,950


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,099,460 19.41 $12.70 $26,410
Traveler Accommodation 156,410 7.62 $14.84 $30,860
Special Food Services 71,590 9.75 $15.04 $31,290
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 69,890 5.18 $12.49 $25,970
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 62,980 15.82 $12.12 $25,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,099,460 19.41 $12.70 $26,410
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 62,980 15.82 $12.12 $25,220
Special Food Services 71,590 9.75 $15.04 $31,290
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 1,360 8.02 $14.18 $29,500
Traveler Accommodation 156,410 7.62 $14.84 $30,860

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 160 0.08 $20.25 $42,120
Grantmaking and Giving Services 110 0.08 $17.09 $35,550
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 170 (7) $15.18 $31,580
Clothing Stores 40 (7) $15.18 $31,580
Special Food Services 71,590 9.75 $15.04 $31,290


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 289,160 16.64 0.95 $15.55 $32,350
Texas 219,180 17.63 1.00 $10.61 $22,070
Florida 208,360 23.69 1.35 $12.66 $26,340
New York 160,470 16.85 0.96 $17.86 $37,150
Pennsylvania 96,210 16.30 0.93 $12.20 $25,380




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 19,500 30.68 1.75 $26.54 $55,200
Nevada 37,300 26.78 1.53 $11.43 $23,770
Florida 208,360 23.69 1.35 $12.66 $26,340
Montana 10,050 21.48 1.22 $10.53 $21,900
Maine 12,970 21.22 1.21 $14.02 $29,170




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 19,500 30.68 1.75 $26.54 $55,200
District of Columbia 10,940 15.12 0.86 $23.83 $49,570
Washington 55,090 16.60 0.95 $18.63 $38,750
New York 160,470 16.85 0.96 $17.86 $37,150
Arizona 50,880 17.75 1.01 $17.57 $36,550





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 157,350 16.30 0.93 $17.29 $35,970
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 102,290 16.39 0.93 $15.55 $32,350
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 69,600 14.88 0.85 $11.50 $23,910
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 63,680 17.41 0.99 $9.99 $20,770
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 55,590 18.21 1.04 $11.83 $24,610
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 54,390 19.82 1.13 $10.66 $22,170
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 53,220 20.14 1.15 $12.55 $26,100
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 52,090 18.62 1.06 $15.91 $33,100
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 51,360 16.15 0.92 $14.84 $30,870
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 45,100 15.68 0.89 $12.30 $25,580




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 4,100 53.78 3.06 $27.19 $56,560
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 8,860 52.92 3.01 $10.29 $21,390
The Villages, FL 1,340 45.62 2.60 $11.12 $23,120
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 4,860 43.14 2.46 $13.26 $27,580
Flagstaff, AZ 2,450 39.44 2.25 $15.06 $31,320
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 3,070 39.04 2.22 $10.02 $20,850
Ocean City, NJ 1,450 36.63 2.09 $12.10 $25,160
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 5,180 34.50 1.96 $9.31 $19,370
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 5,210 34.47 1.96 $15.48 $32,200
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 2,530 33.99 1.94 $9.08 $18,880




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 4,100 53.78 3.06 $27.19 $56,560
Urban Honolulu, HI 11,850 25.89 1.47 $26.65 $55,430
Kingston, NY 1,600 26.50 1.51 $20.67 $42,990
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 1,070 21.44 1.22 $20.21 $42,040
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 33,380 16.51 0.94 $19.96 $41,520
Bellingham, WA 1,800 20.07 1.14 $19.65 $40,870
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 35,350 16.66 0.95 $18.29 $38,040
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 45,000 18.20 1.04 $18.18 $37,810
Utica-Rome, NY 2,190 17.07 0.97 $17.93 $37,300
Napa, CA 2,410 31.24 1.78 $17.74 $36,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 5,380 19.69 1.12 $10.92 $22,720
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 5,350 16.00 0.91 $11.07 $23,030
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 4,980 12.65 0.72 $9.27 $19,290
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 4,630 37.71 2.15 $14.57 $30,300
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 4,550 33.75 1.92 $8.93 $18,570

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 3,110 39.94 2.27 $13.72 $28,530
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 4,630 37.71 2.15 $14.57 $30,300
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 3,550 34.95 1.99 $25.41 $52,850
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 4,550 33.75 1.92 $8.93 $18,570
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,910 32.22 1.83 $15.00 $31,200

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 3,550 34.95 1.99 $25.41 $52,850
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 1,350 14.62 0.83 $18.46 $38,400
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,960 15.90 0.91 $16.40 $34,120
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,630 16.92 0.96 $15.78 $32,810
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 3,570 19.52 1.11 $15.66 $32,570


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020