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Waitstaff salary
Average waitstaff salary
$12.07
Average Waitstaff Salary Insights
As of October 2025, the average salary for waitstaff in the United States is approximately $25,104 per year or $12.07 per hour. This figure can vary based on various factors including geographic location, type of establishment, and years of experience. For example, waitstaff in fine dining restaurants typically earn more than those in casual dining settings.
Salary by State
In certain states, such as California and New York, waitstaff can expect higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for quality service. In California, waitstaff can earn an average of $30,000 annually, while in New York, the average may reach $28,000.
Job Opportunities
Many waitstaff positions offer tips, which can significantly boost overall earnings. Additionally, gaining experience in high-end restaurants or specialized cuisine can lead to further salary increases and career advancement. Explore opportunities on job boards like Zippia to find roles that align with your skills and compensation expectations.
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Where can a Waitstaff earn more?
Waitstaff salary estimates from across the web
Average waitstaff salary by state
The average waitstaff salary in Massachusetts, California, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average waitstaff salary states are Nebraska, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for waitstaffs
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $29,966 | $14.41 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $30,435 | $14.63 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $34,181 | $16.43 |
| 4 | California | $33,403 | $16.06 |
| 5 | New York | $31,398 | $15.10 |
| 6 | Colorado | $27,497 | $13.22 |
| 7 | Washington | $31,254 | $15.03 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $35,228 | $16.94 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $24,176 | $11.62 |
| 10 | Maine | $28,486 | $13.70 |
| 11 | Vermont | $30,725 | $14.77 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $30,109 | $14.48 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $25,675 | $12.34 |
| 14 | Maryland | $29,283 | $14.08 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $28,030 | $13.48 |
| 16 | Missouri | $25,300 | $12.16 |
| 17 | Michigan | $24,086 | $11.58 |
| 18 | Florida | $24,003 | $11.54 |
| 19 | Oregon | $27,303 | $13.13 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $22,811 | $10.97 |
| 21 | Texas | $23,316 | $11.21 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $24,931 | $11.99 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $26,872 | $12.92 |
| 24 | Delaware | $25,593 | $12.30 |
| 25 | Ohio | $22,945 | $11.03 |
| 26 | Kansas | $23,522 | $11.31 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $23,898 | $11.49 |
| 28 | Idaho | $24,567 | $11.81 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $21,852 | $10.51 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $28,733 | $13.81 |
| 31 | Utah | $23,847 | $11.46 |
| 32 | Nevada | $22,115 | $10.63 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $20,954 | $10.07 |
| 34 | Georgia | $22,435 | $10.79 |
| 35 | Iowa | $22,800 | $10.96 |
| 36 | Montana | $21,882 | $10.52 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $22,547 | $10.84 |
| 38 | Virginia | $22,931 | $11.02 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $21,379 | $10.28 |
| 40 | Alabama | $21,308 | $10.24 |
| 41 | Illinois | $22,259 | $10.70 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $19,916 | $9.57 |
| 43 | Indiana | $18,911 | $9.09 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $20,713 | $9.96 |
| 45 | Alaska | $23,239 | $11.17 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $21,285 | $10.23 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $19,482 | $9.37 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $18,686 | $8.98 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $19,036 | $9.15 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $21,018 | $10.10 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $20,611 | $9.91 |
Highest paying cities for waitstaffs
The highest-paying cities for waitstaffs are Falmouth, MA, Bakersfield, CA, and Wallingford, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falmouth, MA | $34,225 | $16.45 |
| 2 | Bakersfield, CA | $33,384 | $16.05 |
| 3 | Wallingford, CT | $30,468 | $14.65 |
| 4 | White Bear Lake, MN | $30,159 | $14.50 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $30,008 | $14.43 |
| 6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $28,786 | $13.84 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $28,478 | $13.69 |
| 8 | Salem, OR | $27,333 | $13.14 |
| 9 | Springfield, MO | $25,255 | $12.14 |
| 10 | Tallahassee, FL | $24,146 | $11.61 |
| 11 | Chattanooga, TN | $24,139 | $11.61 |
| 12 | Dearborn, MI | $24,050 | $11.56 |
| 13 | Little Rock, AR | $23,912 | $11.50 |
| 14 | Wichita, KS | $23,504 | $11.30 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $23,339 | $11.22 |
| 16 | Des Moines, IA | $22,728 | $10.93 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $22,701 | $10.91 |
| 18 | Albuquerque, NM | $22,577 | $10.85 |
| 19 | Gainesville, GA | $22,488 | $10.81 |
| 20 | Las Vegas, NV | $22,107 | $10.63 |
Waitstaff salary details
A waitstaff's salary ranges from $19,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $32,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a waitstaff's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 75th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| Average | $25,104 | $2,092 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
| 10th Percentile | $19,000 | $1,583 | $9 |
Highest paying waitstaff jobs
The highest paying types of waitstaffs are head server, caterer/server, and fine dining server.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Server | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12.12 | 125,455 |
| Food Runner | $25,536 | $2,128 | $12.28 | 240,853 |
| Dining Room Server | $29,540 | $2,462 | $14.20 | 99,079 |
| Fine Dining Server | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | 77,549 |
| Lead Server | $28,677 | $2,390 | $13.79 | 123,215 |
| Head Server | $111,194 | $9,266 | $53.46 | 64,405 |
Top companies hiring waitstaffs now:
Which companies pay waitstaffs the most?
Waitstaff salaries at Mayo Clinic and Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average waitstaff salary at companies like Trinity Health and Erickson Senior Living are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $31,397 | $15.09 |
| 2 | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | $29,946 | $14.40 |
| 3 | Trinity Health | $29,703 | $14.28 |
| 4 | Erickson Senior Living | $29,528 | $14.20 |
| 5 | Oxford Health of New Jersey | $29,288 | $14.08 |
| 6 | RiverWoods Exeter | $29,036 | $13.96 |
| 7 | RiverWoods Manchester | $28,875 | $13.88 |
| 8 | Hebrew SeniorLife | $28,674 | $13.79 |
| 9 | Hotel Shangri-La | $28,460 | $13.68 |
| 10 | Carnival Cruise Line | $28,243 | $13.58 |
| 11 | Jewish Senior Life | $28,038 | $13.48 |
| 12 | JEROME HOME | $28,001 | $13.46 |
| 13 | Northbridge Communities | $27,947 | $13.44 |
| 14 | Willamette View | $27,860 | $13.39 |
| 15 | The Bristal Assisted Living | $27,786 | $13.36 |
| 16 | Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc | $27,702 | $13.32 |
| 17 | NCR At Home Health and Wellness | $27,629 | $13.28 |
| 18 | Lahey Health Behavioral Services | $27,546 | $13.24 |
| 19 | Five Star Senior Living | $27,417 | $13.18 |
| 20 | Columbine Health Systems | $27,374 | $13.16 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Waitstaff salary by industry
The average waitstaff salary varies across industries:
- The average waitstaff salary in the health care industry is $26,991, the highest of any industry.
- The average waitstaff salary in the finance industry is $26,553.
- Waitstaffs in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $25,440, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for waitstaffs
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $26,991 | $12.98 |
| 2 | Transportation | $26,553 | $12.77 |
| 3 | Professional | $26,442 | $12.71 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $25,440 | $12.23 |
High paying waitstaff jobs
Waitstaff salary trends
The average waitstaff salary has risen by $5,467 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average waitstaff earned $19,637 annually, but today, they earn $25,104 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for waitstaffs over the last decade.
Compare waitstaff salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average waitstaff salary over time
Compare waitstaff salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Waitstaff salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25,100 | $12.07 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $24,200 | $11.64 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | $23,000 | $11.07 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $22,000 | $10.58 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $21,100 | $10.16 | +3.7% |
Recently added waitstaff salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth College | Event Waitstaff | Hanover, NH | 06/30/2025 | $52,175 |
| Arcadia Family of Companies | Waitstaff | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Pursuit | Waitstaff/Server (Glacier NP) | Pony, MT | 06/29/2025 | $22,018 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Erie, PA | 06/27/2025 | $25,044 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Durham, NC | 06/24/2025 | $22,957 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Rochester, NY | 06/21/2025 | $32,349 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Farmington, CT | 06/21/2025 | $34,122 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Seattle, WA | 06/21/2025 | $43,326 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Agawam Town, MA | 06/18/2025 | $31,305 |
| Atria Senior Living | Waitstaff | Salem, OR | 06/18/2025 | $30,679 |
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