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Best states for an informal waiter/waitress
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and food preparation and restaurant careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to informal waiter/waitress jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for informal waiter/waitresses.Our research found that Arizona is the best state for informal waiter/waitresses, while New York and Maine are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Arizona has a median salary of $29,114 and New York has the highest median salary among all 50 states for informal waiter/waitresses.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for informal waiter/waitresses.If you are currently seeking employment as an informal waiter/waitress, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for informal waiter/waitresses in 2025
1. Arizona
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 48 Average annual salary: $29,114 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. Colorado
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $27,454 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Location Quotient: 1.89
3. New York
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 48 Average annual salary: $33,868 Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
4. Maine
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $30,750 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
5. Michigan
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 77 Average annual salary: $25,041 Lowest 10 percent earn: $16,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Location Quotient: 1.74
6. Connecticut
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $27,993 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
7. Minnesota
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 22 Average annual salary: $29,836 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location Quotient: 0.58
8. District of Columbia
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $34,496 Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 0.42
9. Washington
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $28,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
10. Rhode Island
Total informal waiter/waitress jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $26,053 Lowest 10 percent earn: $17,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Informal waiter/waitress jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an informal waiter/waitress
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an informal waiter/waitress
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $29,114 | $20,000 | 7,016,270 | 48 |
| 2 | Colorado | $27,454 | $18,000 | 5,607,154 | 64 |
| 3 | New York | $33,868 | $22,000 | 19,849,399 | 48 |
| 4 | Maine | $30,750 | $20,000 | 1,335,907 | 5 |
| 5 | Michigan | $25,041 | $16,000 | 9,962,311 | 77 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $27,993 | $18,000 | 3,588,184 | 17 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $29,836 | $20,000 | 5,576,606 | 22 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $34,496 | $23,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 9 | Washington | $28,125 | $18,000 | 7,405,743 | 29 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $26,053 | $17,000 | 1,059,639 | 7 |
| 11 | Vermont | $30,290 | $20,000 | 623,657 | 1 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $27,795 | $18,000 | 6,859,819 | 31 |
| 13 | Texas | $23,694 | $16,000 | 28,304,596 | 155 |
| 14 | California | $27,677 | $18,000 | 39,536,653 | 143 |
| 15 | Missouri | $23,617 | $16,000 | 6,113,532 | 44 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $23,453 | $15,000 | 12,805,537 | 73 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $27,048 | $17,000 | 9,005,644 | 28 |
| 18 | Alaska | $26,675 | $19,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 19 | Idaho | $24,813 | $16,000 | 1,716,943 | 4 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $22,518 | $15,000 | 6,715,984 | 46 |
| 21 | Delaware | $24,908 | $16,000 | 961,939 | 5 |
| 22 | Florida | $22,901 | $16,000 | 20,984,400 | 178 |
| 23 | Oregon | $25,508 | $16,000 | 4,142,776 | 13 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $23,837 | $16,000 | 3,004,279 | 4 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $24,446 | $16,000 | 1,342,795 | 4 |
| 26 | Iowa | $22,614 | $15,000 | 3,145,711 | 18 |
| 27 | Utah | $23,767 | $15,000 | 3,101,833 | 12 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $30,553 | $26,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 29 | Nevada | $21,894 | $14,000 | 2,998,039 | 45 |
| 30 | Maryland | $24,693 | $16,000 | 6,052,177 | 26 |
| 31 | Montana | $21,826 | $14,000 | 1,050,493 | 16 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $21,949 | $14,000 | 579,315 | 4 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $22,846 | $15,000 | 5,795,483 | 15 |
| 34 | Illinois | $22,687 | $15,000 | 12,802,023 | 53 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $21,250 | $14,000 | 4,454,189 | 24 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $22,517 | $15,000 | 1,815,857 | 2 |
| 37 | Ohio | $21,037 | $14,000 | 11,658,609 | 59 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $22,371 | $15,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $22,459 | $15,000 | 2,088,070 | 3 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $20,897 | $14,000 | 5,024,369 | 26 |
| 41 | Georgia | $20,281 | $14,000 | 10,429,379 | 59 |
| 42 | Alabama | $20,924 | $14,000 | 4,874,747 | 16 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $20,263 | $14,000 | 10,273,419 | 46 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $20,484 | $13,000 | 1,920,076 | 10 |
| 45 | Indiana | $18,719 | $12,000 | 6,666,818 | 51 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $18,613 | $12,000 | 3,930,864 | 27 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $20,895 | $14,000 | 755,393 | 0 |
| 48 | Virginia | $20,963 | $14,000 | 8,470,020 | 32 |
| 49 | Kansas | $20,067 | $13,000 | 2,913,123 | 12 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $19,487 | $13,000 | 4,684,333 | 16 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $19,044 | $13,000 | 2,984,100 | 4 |
Highest paying states for informal waiter/waitresses
| Rank | State | Avg. Informal Waiter/Waitress Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $29,114 |
| 2 | Colorado | $27,454 |
| 3 | New York | $33,868 |
| 4 | Maine | $30,750 |
| 5 | Michigan | $25,041 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $27,993 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $29,836 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $34,496 |
| 9 | Washington | $28,125 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $26,053 |
| 11 | Vermont | $30,290 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $27,795 |
| 13 | Texas | $23,694 |
| 14 | California | $27,677 |
| 15 | Missouri | $23,617 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $23,453 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $27,048 |
| 18 | Alaska | $26,675 |
| 19 | Idaho | $24,813 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $22,518 |
| 21 | Delaware | $24,908 |
| 22 | Florida | $22,901 |
| 23 | Oregon | $25,508 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $23,837 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $24,446 |
| 26 | Iowa | $22,614 |
| 27 | Utah | $23,767 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $30,553 |
| 29 | Nevada | $21,894 |
| 30 | Maryland | $24,693 |
| 31 | Montana | $21,826 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $21,949 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $22,846 |
| 34 | Illinois | $22,687 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $21,250 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $22,517 |
| 37 | Ohio | $21,037 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $22,371 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $22,459 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $20,897 |
| 41 | Georgia | $20,281 |
| 42 | Alabama | $20,924 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $20,263 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $20,484 |
| 45 | Indiana | $18,719 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $18,613 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $20,895 |
| 48 | Virginia | $20,963 |
| 49 | Kansas | $20,067 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $19,487 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $19,044 |
Informal waiter/waitress best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025