What are the main factors that influence a Waiters's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Waiters's salary?

A Waiters's salary grows with experience: a Waiters (0-1 years)earns $23,860, an Assistant Restaurant Manager (1-3 years)earns $41,458, a Restaurant Manager (3-5 years)earns $55,957, a Regional Restaurant Manager (5+ years)earns $84,292, a Restaurant Director (5+ years)earns $117,379,

What are the highest paying states for a Waiters?

Waiters salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Waiters roles are District of Columbia $25,937, California $25,839, Massachusetts $25,495. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How do different companies affect a Waiters's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Waiters roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Waiters Salary in the United States

How much does a Waiters make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Waiters in the United States is $23,426 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $11.

However, a Waiters's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $26,624
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $21,342 to $25,100
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $19,444

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Waiters Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$25,100	$2,092	$483	$12
Average	$23,426	$1,952	$451	$11
25th Percentile	$21,342	$1,778	$410	$10

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Key Factors That Influence Waiters Salaries

A Waiters's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Waiters Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Waiters's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $23,860
Early Career (1-2 years): $41,458
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,957
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $84,292
Expert (over 8 years): $117,379

Levels	Salary
Waiters Level Waiters	$23,860
Assistant... Level Waiters	$41,458
Restauran... Level Waiters	$55,957
Regional ... Level Waiters	$84,292
Restauran... Level Waiters	$117,379

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How Do Waiters Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Waiters. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $25,937.
California: $25,839.
Massachusetts: $25,495.

District of Columbia $25,937 California $25,839 Massachusetts $25,495 Washington $25,401 New Jersey $25,392 Alaska $25,359 Connecticut $25,035 New York $24,904

Hawaii $24,485 Rhode Island $24,288 Maryland $24,155 Minnesota $23,972 Colorado $23,902 Illinois $23,878 Oregon $23,789 Delaware $23,724

New Hampshire $23,682 Virginia $23,590 Pennsylvania $23,321 Nevada $23,185 North Dakota $23,140 Michigan $23,070 Wisconsin $23,044 Vermont $22,993

Texas $22,850 Maine $22,840 Arizona $22,826 Ohio $22,810 Georgia $22,594 Indiana $22,487 Wyoming $22,466 Utah $22,433

Iowa $22,419 Kansas $22,306 Louisiana $22,274 North Carolina $22,262 Missouri $22,257 Florida $22,166 Montana $22,117 Nebraska $22,070

Kentucky $22,044 South Carolina $21,950 Tennessee $21,892 Idaho $21,868 New Mexico $21,697 Oklahoma $21,660 Alabama $21,522 South Dakota $21,290

Arkansas $21,163 West Virginia $21,095 Mississippi $20,891

Top Paying Cities for Waiters

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $29,547
San Francisco: $29,224
Oakland: $28,608

San Jose, CA $29,547

San Francisco, CA $29,224

Oakland, CA $28,608

New York, NY $26,973

Paramus, NJ $26,645

Queens Village, NY $26,643

Passaic, NJ $26,621

Bergenfield, NJ $26,619

Stamford, CT $26,568

Huntington, NY $26,558

Newark, NJ $26,385

Bridgeport, CT $26,335

Vallejo, CA $26,289

New Brunswick, NJ $26,279

Petaluma, CA $26,265

Middlesex, NJ $26,221

Somerset, NJ $26,204

Santa Cruz, CA $26,174

Boston, MA $26,031

Monterey, CA $25,949

Seattle, WA $25,895

Santa Rosa, CA $25,891

Los Angeles, CA $25,883

Juneau, AK $25,823

Washington, DC $25,797

Orange, CA $25,713

Santa Ana, CA $25,652

Long Beach, CA $25,628

Anaheim, CA $25,623

Anchorage, AK $25,612

Santa Maria, CA $25,541

Everett, WA $25,537

Danbury, CT $25,454

Bremerton, WA $25,422

Tacoma, WA $25,338

New Suffolk, NY $25,337

Sacramento, CA $25,331

Santa Barbara, CA $25,305

Trenton, NJ $25,279

San Diego, CA $25,279

Brockton, MA $25,253

Fairbanks, AK $25,196

Lompoc, CA $25,136

Lowell, MA $25,117

Ventura, CA $25,113

Nashua, NH $25,108

Stockton, CA $25,106

Modesto, CA $24,935

Poughkeepsie, NY $24,883

Olympia, WA $24,839

Kennewick, WA $24,839

New Haven, CT $24,829

Lawrence, MA $24,745

Hartford, CT $24,722

Riverside, CA $24,717

New Bedford, MA $24,693

Richland, WA $24,693

Bakersfield, CA $24,661

San Bernardino, CA $24,651

New Britain, CT $24,649

Atlantic City, NJ $24,649

New London, CT $24,640

Norwich, CT $24,633

Portsmouth, NH $24,628

Boulder, CO $24,578

Portland, OR $24,546

Worcester, MA $24,544

Minneapolis, MN $24,471

Philadelphia, PA $24,438

Honolulu, HI $24,361

Saint Paul, MN $24,350

Vineland, NJ $24,344

Providence, RI $24,276

Chicago, IL $24,209

Bellingham, WA $24,180

Springfield, MA $24,162

Baltimore, MD $24,155

Chico, CA $24,096

Pittsfield, MA $24,033

Manchester, NH $23,988

Spokane, WA $23,885

Denver, CO $23,883

Albany, NY $23,773

Troy, NY $23,763

Nassau, NY $23,738

Schenectady, NY $23,714

Wilmington, DE $23,696

Burlington, VT $23,663

Salem, OR $23,653

Portland, ME $23,581

Yakima, WA $23,557

Rochester, MN $23,485

Reno, NV $23,473

Fresno, CA $23,473

Milwaukee, WI $23,452

Detroit, MI $23,428

Ann Arbor, MI $23,424

Allentown, PA $23,421

Colorado Springs, CO $23,382

Syracuse, NY $23,370

Carson City, NV $23,370

Houston, TX $23,337

Eugene, OR $23,325

Gary, IN $23,297

Springfield, OR $23,279

Bismarck, ND $23,274

Galveston, TX $23,257

Medford, OR $23,222

Fort Collins, CO $23,213

Concord, NH $23,201

Austin, TX $23,194

Mesa, AZ $23,145

Reading, PA $23,143

Phoenix, AZ $23,140

Dallas, TX $23,133

Saint Cloud, MN $23,111

Madison, WI $23,079

Utica, NY $23,016

Rochester, NY $22,979

Des Moines, IA $22,976

Raleigh, NC $22,974

Atlanta, GA $22,939

Battle Creek, MI $22,932

Salt Lake City, UT $22,925

Lancaster, PA $22,890

Harrisburg, PA $22,857

Kansas City, MO $22,833

Champaign, IL $22,829

Kansas City, KS $22,829

Fort Worth, TX $22,826

Columbus, OH $22,822

Boca Raton, FL $22,817

Pittsburgh, PA $22,808

Richmond, VA $22,798

Indianapolis, IN $22,794

Cleveland, OH $22,791

Las Vegas, NV $22,763

Cincinnati, OH $22,763

Petersburg, VA $22,728

Huntsville, AL $22,693

Lansing, MI $22,677

Lebanon, PA $22,674

Pueblo, CO $22,672

Appleton, WI $22,665

Buffalo, NY $22,655

Dayton, OH $22,648

Racine, WI $22,644

Charlotte, NC $22,641

Saint Louis, MO $22,634

York, PA $22,620

Elkhart, IN $22,620

Gastonia, NC $22,616

Billings, MT $22,610

Beaumont, TX $22,604

Lorain, OH $22,599

Benton Harbor, MI $22,594

Toledo, OH $22,590

Binghamton, NY $22,578

Rock Hill, SC $22,576

Rockford, IL $22,564

Springfield, IL $22,555

Elyria, OH $22,552

Fargo, ND $22,552

Flagstaff, AZ $22,536

Fort Lauderdale, FL $22,522

Duluth, MN $22,508

Miami, FL $22,508

Cheyenne, WY $22,491

Grand Forks, ND $22,491

Bangor, ME $22,440

Cedar Rapids, IA $22,414

Durham, NC $22,404

Louisville, KY $22,402

Grand Rapids, MI $22,398

Hialeah, FL $22,395

Casper, WY $22,363

Scranton, PA $22,334

New Orleans, LA $22,327

Virginia Beach, VA $22,325

Akron, OH $22,313

Peoria, IL $22,283

Sarasota, FL $22,278

Nashville, TN $22,262

Omaha, NE $22,262

Green Bay, WI $22,262

Baton Rouge, LA $22,250

Charleston, SC $22,245

Jamestown, NY $22,234

Davenport, IA $22,234

Tucson, AZ $22,222

Saint Petersburg, FL $22,208

Tampa, FL $22,203

Evansville, IN $22,189

Port Arthur, TX $22,189

Bradenton, FL $22,180

Santa Fe, NM $22,138

Orlando, FL $22,095

Clearwater, FL $22,088

Canton, OH $22,039

La Crosse, WI $22,039

Albuquerque, NM $22,025

Newport News, VA $22,023

High Point, NC $22,016

Ogden, UT $22,006

Corpus Christi, TX $21,988

Norfolk, VA $21,974

Laramie, WY $21,974

Rock Island, IL $21,960

Saginaw, MI $21,955

Jacksonville, FL $21,953

Salisbury, NC $21,948

Boise, ID $21,943

Moline, IL $21,932

Fort Myers, FL $21,924

Memphis, TN $21,920

Tulsa, OK $21,908

Waterloo, IA $21,894

Spartanburg, SC $21,871

Lincoln, NE $21,859

Fort Wayne, IN $21,854

Provo, UT $21,852

Cedar Falls, IA $21,824

San Antonio, TX $21,814

Greensboro, NC $21,805

South Bend, IN $21,803

Savannah, GA $21,777

Muskegon, MI $21,768

Birmingham, AL $21,765

Winston Salem, NC $21,754

Lake Charles, LA $21,697

Anderson, IN $21,693

Lexington, KY $21,686

Augusta, GA $21,679

Greenville, SC $21,679

Lima, OH $21,660

Wichita, KS $21,657

Tuscaloosa, AL $21,657

Columbia, SC $21,636

Springfield, OH $21,632

Asheville, NC $21,594

Bloomington, IN $21,578

Knoxville, TN $21,493

Shreveport, LA $21,491

Wilmington, NC $21,461

Roanoke, VA $21,461

Topeka, KS $21,418

Frankfort, KY $21,416

Oklahoma City, OK $21,400

Chillicothe, OH $21,390

Longview, TX $21,388

Melbourne, FL $21,386

Sioux Falls, SD $21,348

Mobile, AL $21,346

Terre Haute, IN $21,336

Altoona, PA $21,322

Amarillo, TX $21,306

Killeen, TX $21,299

Fayetteville, AR $21,280

Chattanooga, TN $21,273

Sioux City, IA $21,252

Idaho Falls, ID $21,247

Lynchburg, VA $21,229

Gainesville, FL $21,198

Portsmouth, OH $21,187

Little Rock, AR $21,182

Lafayette, LA $21,173

Youngstown, OH $21,173

Daytona Beach, FL $21,158

Clarksville, TN $21,156

Pensacola, FL $21,154

Temple, TX $21,152

Hopkinsville, KY $21,083

Erie, PA $21,079

Florence, SC $21,069

Charleston, WV $21,032

Great Falls, MT $21,020

Macon, GA $20,987

Tallahassee, FL $20,985

Fayetteville, NC $20,980

Waco, TX $20,976

Helena, MT $20,959

Pine Bluff, AR $20,950

Vincennes, IN $20,922

Lubbock, TX $20,912

Alamogordo, NM $20,898

Twin Falls, ID $20,877

Rapid City, SD $20,870

Jackson, MS $20,828

Huntington, WV $20,827

Greenville, MS $20,826

Parkersburg, WV $20,802

Montgomery, AL $20,798

Wichita Falls, TX $20,774

Springfield, MO $20,774

Biloxi, MS $20,763

Monroe, LA $20,739

Johnstown, PA $20,723

Sumter, SC $20,713

Columbus, GA $20,711

Pascagoula, MS $20,667

Abilene, TX $20,667

Kingsport, TN $20,606

Albany, GA $20,606

Gulfport, MS $20,599

Alexandria, LA $20,521

Fort Smith, AR $20,463

El Paso, TX $20,399

Las Cruces, NM $20,294

Harlingen, TX $20,235

Pocatello, ID $20,231

Florence, AL $20,200

Brownsville, TX $20,196

Mcallen, TX $20,146

Dothan, AL $20,114

Columbus, MS $19,974

Altus, OK $19,865

Lawton, OK $19,821

Pierre, SD $19,736

What Skills Can Increase a Waiters's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 11.92% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Point of Sale (Mentioned in 2.74% Job Postings): Accepting payments from customers for goods and services either in person or online.
Product Quality (Mentioned in 1.88% Job Postings): Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	11.92%
Point of Sale	2.74%
Product Quality	1.88%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Waiters's salary.

Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 26%.
Problem Solving: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Products and Services	$29,517	26%
Problem Solving	$24,129	3%
Collaboration	$24,129	3%
Team Management	$24,129	3%
Food Safety	$23,660	1%
Leadership	$23,660	1%

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Waiters Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Waiters roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Waiters positions in Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Waiters as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Waiters

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit	$28,111	$14.0	20%

Waiters Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Waiters's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$21,342

Average $23,426/year

$25,100

$1,778

Average $1,952/month

$2,092

$410

Average $451/week

$483

$10

Average $11/hour

$12

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$25,100	$2,092	$483	$12
Average	$23,426	$1,952	$451	$11
25th Percentile	$21,342	$1,778	$410	$10

Salary Trends for Waiters

Salaries for a Waiters can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $30,113 in 2023 to around $29,621 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Waiters salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Waiters Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$30,113

2024

$29,967

2025

$29,621

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$30,113
2024	$29,967
2025	$29,621
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Waiters

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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FAQ about Waiters

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Waiters?

The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Waiters roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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