Salaries › Waiter / Waitress
Waiter / Waitress Salary by State (2026)
Waiter / Waitresss (Waiters and Waitresses) hold 2,270,900 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $33,973 per year, but the median ranges from $15,080 in Louisiana to $62,390 in Hawaii. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Waiter / Waitress salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Hawaii | $62,390 | 14,090 |
| Vermont | $59,140 | 4,040 |
| Washington | $56,130 | 45,400 |
| Oregon | $48,410 | 23,040 |
| District of Columbia | $47,850 | 11,530 |
| New York | $47,020 | 142,940 |
| New Jersey | $44,960 | 55,800 |
| Colorado | $44,860 | 40,680 |
| Virginia | $44,760 | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $43,950 | 55,950 |
| Maine | $43,370 | 9,090 |
| Massachusetts | $38,460 | 54,670 |
| New Hampshire | $38,430 | 10,030 |
| Connecticut | $37,770 | 22,370 |
| Michigan | $37,760 | 65,090 |
| New Mexico | $36,920 | 12,740 |
| Delaware | $36,880 | 7,580 |
| Maryland | $36,750 | 38,120 |
| Ohio | $36,700 | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36,150 | 207,180 |
| Kansas | $36,120 | 19,480 |
| California | $36,080 | 229,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35,420 | 10,160 |
| West Virginia | $35,380 | 8,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,690 | 82,300 |
| Nebraska | $33,770 | 13,310 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | 72,900 |
| Utah | $31,150 | 17,790 |
| North Dakota | $30,890 | 5,250 |
| Idaho | $30,050 | 10,950 |
| Wisconsin | $29,670 | 36,220 |
| Kentucky | $29,660 | 27,150 |
| Missouri | $29,400 | 41,640 |
| South Dakota | $28,990 | 7,350 |
| Indiana | $28,480 | 43,620 |
| Tennessee | $27,760 | 52,120 |
| Alabama | $26,840 | 28,760 |
| Nevada | $26,410 | 42,520 |
| Alaska | $26,310 | 3,830 |
| Minnesota | $25,470 | 37,630 |
| Arkansas | $24,680 | 17,880 |
| Wyoming | $23,920 | 3,620 |
| Montana | $23,370 | 7,200 |
| Texas | $23,240 | 199,610 |
| Mississippi | $21,370 | 15,190 |
| Iowa | $21,000 | 22,410 |
| Georgia | $18,700 | 76,470 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 | 47,200 |
| Oklahoma | $17,910 | 27,000 |
| Louisiana | $15,080 | 33,870 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Waiter / Waitress salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Waiter / Waitress salary in the US is about $33,973 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 2,270,900 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Waiter / Waitresss the most?
- Hawaii has the highest median Waiter / Waitress salary at $62,390 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Waiter / Waitresss the least?
- Louisiana has the lowest median at $15,080 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Waiters and Waitresses, code 35-3031). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.