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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 Waiters and Waitresses
Industry profile for Waiters and Waitresses
Geographic profile for Waiters and Waitresses

National estimates for Waiters and Waitresses:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Waiters and Waitresses:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,944,240 0.6 % $ 13.20 $ 27,470 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Waiters and Waitresses:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 8.42 $ 9.27 $ 11.42 $ 14.73 $ 20.46
Annual Wage (2) $ 17,520 $ 19,290 $ 23,740 $ 30,650 $ 42,550


Industry profile for Waiters and Waitresses:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Waiters and Waitresses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,586,420 17.59 $ 13.00 $ 27,030
Traveler Accommodation 108,350 7.15 $ 15.35 $ 31,940
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 53,340 5.26 $ 13.08 $ 27,200
Special Food Services 52,490 9.40 $ 15.51 $ 32,260
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 42,960 15.14 $ 12.50 $ 26,010

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Waiters and Waitresses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,586,420 17.59 $ 13.00 $ 27,030
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 42,960 15.14 $ 12.50 $ 26,010
Special Food Services 52,490 9.40 $ 15.51 $ 32,260
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 880 7.89 $ 14.52 $ 30,210
Traveler Accommodation 108,350 7.15 $ 15.35 $ 31,940

Top paying industries for Waiters and Waitresses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 130 0.07 $ 17.43 $ 36,250
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,060 0.04 $ 16.56 $ 34,450
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 30 (7) $ 16.34 $ 33,990
Clothing Stores (8) (8) $ 16.31 $ 33,920
Special Food Services 52,490 9.40 $ 15.51 $ 32,260


Geographic profile for Waiters and Waitresses:

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





States with the highest employment level in Waiters and Waitresses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 211,700 12.88 0.92 $ 16.49 $ 34,300
Texas 179,900 14.86 1.06 $ 10.28 $ 21,370
Florida 168,780 19.99 1.43 $ 12.91 $ 26,860
New York 105,100 12.09 0.87 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Illinois 67,520 12.00 0.86 $ 11.14 $ 23,180




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Waiters and Waitresses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 13,590 23.67 1.69 $ 28.85 $ 60,010
Nevada 25,790 20.62 1.48 $ 12.78 $ 26,590
Florida 168,780 19.99 1.43 $ 12.91 $ 26,860
Montana 8,330 18.28 1.31 $ 11.04 $ 22,960
South Carolina 33,280 16.51 1.18 $ 9.77 $ 20,320




Top paying states for Waiters and Waitresses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 13,590 23.67 1.69 $ 28.85 $ 60,010
District of Columbia 7,560 11.00 0.79 $ 26.54 $ 55,200
Washington 40,010 12.52 0.90 $ 19.57 $ 40,700
New York 105,100 12.09 0.87 $ 18.99 $ 39,510
Arizona 42,530 15.00 1.07 $ 18.46 $ 38,400





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Waiters and Waitresses:

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 107,510 12.17 0.87 $ 18.12 $ 37,690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 78,250 13.44 0.96 $ 16.07 $ 33,420
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 53,810 15.00 1.07 $ 9.50 $ 19,760
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 51,300 11.76 0.84 $ 11.30 $ 23,500
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 44,810 15.09 1.08 $ 11.44 $ 23,790
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 42,920 17.12 1.22 $ 12.57 $ 26,150
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 40,950 15.55 1.11 $ 11.09 $ 23,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 34,790 11.51 0.82 $ 15.99 $ 33,260
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 34,250 13.16 0.94 $ 16.02 $ 33,320
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 32,170 13.80 0.99 $ 19.64 $ 40,850




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Waiters and Waitresses:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 6,530 42.26 3.02 $ 9.66 $ 20,080
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 2,590 38.71 2.77 $ 27.51 $ 57,210
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 4,190 38.36 2.74 $ 13.12 $ 27,290
The Villages, FL 1,060 35.53 2.54 $ 11.57 $ 24,060
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 2,510 33.81 2.42 $ 10.80 $ 22,460
Panama City, FL 2,500 33.23 2.38 $ 11.77 $ 24,480
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 2,430 33.19 2.37 $ 9.26 $ 19,260
Flagstaff, AZ 1,780 31.32 2.24 $ 16.79 $ 34,930
Brunswick, GA 1,170 29.60 2.12 $ 9.65 $ 20,070
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 4,300 29.52 2.11 $ 16.84 $ 35,020




Top paying metropolitan areas for Waiters and Waitresses:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Urban Honolulu, HI 8,680 20.94 1.50 $ 30.11 $ 62,630
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 2,590 38.71 2.77 $ 27.51 $ 57,210
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 23,210 11.87 0.85 $ 20.75 $ 43,160
Ithaca, NY 540 11.74 0.84 $ 20.36 $ 42,350
Utica-Rome, NY 1,170 10.12 0.72 $ 20.17 $ 41,960
Kingston, NY 1,160 21.28 1.52 $ 19.68 $ 40,930
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 32,170 13.80 0.99 $ 19.64 $ 40,850
Binghamton, NY 990 10.73 0.77 $ 19.63 $ 40,820
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 29,260 13.88 0.99 $ 19.03 $ 39,590
Salinas, CA 3,080 17.94 1.28 $ 19.03 $ 39,570

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Waiters and Waitresses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 4,600 12.16 0.87 $ 9.56 $ 19,880
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 4,090 13.13 0.94 $ 11.33 $ 23,570
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 4,010 31.96 2.29 $ 9.16 $ 19,050
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 3,550 14.46 1.03 $ 9.27 $ 19,280
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 3,530 30.81 2.20 $ 16.05 $ 33,380

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Waiters and Waitresses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 2,910 39.58 2.83 $ 14.59 $ 30,340
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 4,010 31.96 2.29 $ 9.16 $ 19,050
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 3,530 30.81 2.20 $ 16.05 $ 33,380
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,680 30.45 2.18 $ 15.00 $ 31,210
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 1,790 26.20 1.87 $ 11.32 $ 23,550

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Waiters and Waitresses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 2,320 25.01 1.79 $ 25.63 $ 53,310
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 1,410 15.58 1.11 $ 19.40 $ 40,350
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,450 12.29 0.88 $ 18.86 $ 39,220
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,240 13.37 0.96 $ 17.47 $ 36,340
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 1,720 11.39 0.82 $ 16.74 $ 34,820


About May 2020 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.

(8) Estimate not released.

(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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021