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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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) |
1,804,030 |
0.8 % |
$ 13.95 |
$ 29,010 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Waiters and Waitresses:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$ 8.58 |
$ 9.63 |
$ 12.50 |
$ 14.83 |
$ 22.07 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$ 17,840 |
$ 20,020 |
$ 26,000 |
$ 30,850 |
$ 45,910 |
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 |
1,529,610 |
16.22 |
$ 13.93 |
$ 28,970 |
Traveler Accommodation |
71,020 |
5.17 |
$ 14.16 |
$ 29,440 |
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries |
56,820 |
5.11 |
$ 13.80 |
$ 28,710 |
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
39,150 |
12.76 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,430 |
Special Food Services |
26,770 |
5.65 |
$ 15.69 |
$ 32,640 |
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 |
1,529,610 |
16.22 |
$ 13.93 |
$ 28,970 |
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
39,150 |
12.76 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,430 |
Special Food Services |
26,770 |
5.65 |
$ 15.69 |
$ 32,640 |
Traveler Accommodation |
71,020 |
5.17 |
$ 14.16 |
$ 29,440 |
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries |
56,820 |
5.11 |
$ 13.80 |
$ 28,710 |
Top paying industries for Waiters and Waitresses:
Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations |
1,290 |
0.32 |
$ 18.08 |
$ 37,610 |
Technical and Trade Schools |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 17.62 |
$ 36,650 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises |
2,200 |
0.09 |
$ 16.03 |
$ 33,340 |
Grantmaking and Giving Services |
130 |
0.09 |
$ 15.87 |
$ 33,010 |
Elementary and Secondary Schools |
120 |
(7) |
$ 15.72 |
$ 32,700 |
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 |
171,630 |
10.38 |
0.81 |
$ 17.35 |
$ 36,090 |
Texas |
171,060 |
13.99 |
1.09 |
$ 11.97 |
$ 24,890 |
Florida |
170,290 |
19.79 |
1.55 |
$ 13.94 |
$ 28,990 |
New York |
91,740 |
10.58 |
0.83 |
$ 19.09 |
$ 39,710 |
Ohio |
64,740 |
12.45 |
0.97 |
$ 11.45 |
$ 23,810 |
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) |
Nevada |
27,670 |
21.46 |
1.68 |
$ 11.58 |
$ 24,090 |
Florida |
170,290 |
19.79 |
1.55 |
$ 13.94 |
$ 28,990 |
Oklahoma |
26,570 |
17.06 |
1.33 |
$ 11.32 |
$ 23,540 |
Louisiana |
29,510 |
16.45 |
1.28 |
$ 9.95 |
$ 20,700 |
Hawaii |
8,560 |
15.62 |
1.22 |
$ 18.93 |
$ 39,370 |
Top paying states for Waiters and Waitresses:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
District of Columbia |
5,820 |
8.79 |
0.69 |
$ 23.19 |
$ 48,240 |
Washington |
30,000 |
9.36 |
0.73 |
$ 21.39 |
$ 44,490 |
Arizona |
44,820 |
15.56 |
1.21 |
$ 19.43 |
$ 40,400 |
New York |
91,740 |
10.58 |
0.83 |
$ 19.09 |
$ 39,710 |
Hawaii |
8,560 |
15.62 |
1.22 |
$ 18.93 |
$ 39,370 |
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 |
91,580 |
10.55 |
0.82 |
$ 18.06 |
$ 37,560 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
62,430 |
10.91 |
0.85 |
$ 17.49 |
$ 36,370 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
48,860 |
13.61 |
1.06 |
$ 12.13 |
$ 25,240 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
45,210 |
10.68 |
0.83 |
$ 12.48 |
$ 25,960 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
44,210 |
15.26 |
1.19 |
$ 12.49 |
$ 25,970 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
40,790 |
16.63 |
1.30 |
$ 14.00 |
$ 29,120 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
37,410 |
14.45 |
1.13 |
$ 11.51 |
$ 23,940 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
32,010 |
15.12 |
1.18 |
$ 19.59 |
$ 40,740 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
31,380 |
10.70 |
0.84 |
$ 17.06 |
$ 35,480 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
29,960 |
11.28 |
0.88 |
$ 14.07 |
$ 29,260 |
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) |
Ocean City, NJ |
1,580 |
40.44 |
3.16 |
$ 15.19 |
$ 31,590 |
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL |
2,930 |
39.38 |
3.08 |
$ 10.21 |
$ 21,240 |
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
6,150 |
37.87 |
2.96 |
$ 10.01 |
$ 20,810 |
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
4,190 |
36.73 |
2.87 |
$ 14.31 |
$ 29,760 |
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL |
5,190 |
35.43 |
2.77 |
$ 15.02 |
$ 31,240 |
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ |
4,070 |
35.04 |
2.74 |
$ 14.82 |
$ 30,830 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
2,450 |
32.69 |
2.55 |
$ 10.82 |
$ 22,500 |
Brunswick, GA |
1,260 |
31.00 |
2.42 |
$ 9.73 |
$ 20,240 |
The Villages, FL |
1,020 |
30.52 |
2.38 |
$ 13.37 |
$ 27,800 |
Flagstaff, AZ |
1,760 |
30.38 |
2.37 |
$ 19.76 |
$ 41,100 |
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