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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