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Job outlook for waitresses in the United States
Waitress job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected waitress job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 197,000 new jobs for waitresses are projected over the next decade.
Waitress salaries have increased 19% for waitresses in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,609,224 waitresses currently employed in the United States.
There are 87,315 active waitress job openings in the US.
The average waitress salary is $24,770.
Are waitress jobs in demand?
Yes, waitress jobs are in demand. Waitress demand is projected to grow 10% from 2018 to 2028.
Waitress job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of waitress jobs and the average waitress salary over time.
Waitress jobs over time
Waitress job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,609,224 | 0.48% |
| 2020 | 1,734,744 | 0.52% |
| 2019 | 2,298,844 | 0.69% |
| 2018 | 2,303,315 | 0.69% |
| 2017 | 2,304,477 | 0.70% |
Average waitress salary over time
Waitress salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,770 | $11.91 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $23,883 | $11.48 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $22,725 | $10.93 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $21,723 | $10.44 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $20,857 | $10.03 | +3.8% |
Waitress jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of waitress job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where waitresses earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for waitresses
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 3,890 | 19% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 988 | 18% |
| 3 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 530 | 18% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 237 | 18% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 177 | 17% |
| 6 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,141 | 16% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,066 | 16% |
| 8 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,059 | 16% |
| 9 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 780 | 16% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 708 | 16% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 91 | 16% |
| 12 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 4,206 | 15% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 887 | 15% |
| 14 | Delaware | 961,939 | 142 | 15% |
| 15 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,677 | 14% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,223 | 14% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 833 | 14% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,642 | 13% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 390 | 13% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 242 | 13% |
Most common cities for waitresses
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookfield | 4 | 11% | $19,821 |
| 2 | Burnsville | 3 | 5% | $25,907 |
| 3 | Carmel | 4 | 4% | $21,685 |
| 4 | Appleton | 3 | 4% | $19,905 |
| 5 | Vancouver | 4 | 2% | $30,092 |
| 6 | Columbia | 3 | 2% | $20,804 |
| 7 | Orlando | 4 | 1% | $23,058 |
| 8 | Portland | 4 | 1% | $27,735 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $22,241 |
| 10 | Chesapeake | 3 | 1% | $23,057 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $30,853 |
| 12 | Austin | 4 | 0% | $19,489 |
| 13 | Dallas | 4 | 0% | $19,413 |