Waitstaff / Dishwasher Salary in the United States
How much does a Waitstaff / Dishwasher make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Waitstaff / Dishwasher in the United States is $32,005 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $15.
However, a Waitstaff / Dishwasher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $36,088
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $29,712 to $34,142
Key Factors That Influence Waitstaff / Dishwasher Salaries
A Waitstaff / Dishwasher'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 Waitstaff / Dishwasher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Waitstaff / Dishwasher'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): $31,428
Early Career (1-2 years): $31,848
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $32,540
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $32,634
Expert (over 8 years): $32,791
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Waitstaff / Dishwasher
$31,428
Intermediate Level Waitstaff / Dishwasher
$31,848
Senior Level Waitstaff / Dishwasher
$32,540
Specialist Level Waitstaff / Dishwasher
$32,634
Expert Level Waitstaff / Dishwasher
$32,791
$31,4280 yr
$31,848< 2 yrs
$32,5402-4 yrs
$32,6345-8 yrs
$32,791> 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Waitstaff / Dishwasher 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 Waitstaff / Dishwashers.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $35,436.
California: $35,302.
Massachusetts: $34,831.
District of Columbia$35,436
California$35,302
Massachusetts$34,831
Washington$34,703
New Jersey$34,691
Alaska$34,646
Connecticut$34,204
New York$34,025
Hawaii$33,452
Rhode Island$33,183
Maryland$33,001
Minnesota$32,751
Colorado$32,655
Illinois$32,623
Oregon$32,501
Delaware$32,412
New Hampshire$32,356
Virginia$32,229
Pennsylvania$31,861
Nevada$31,676
North Dakota$31,615
Michigan$31,519
Wisconsin$31,484
Vermont$31,413
Texas$31,218
Maine$31,205
Arizona$31,186
Ohio$31,164
Georgia$30,869
Indiana$30,722
Wyoming$30,693
Utah$30,648
Iowa$30,629
Kansas$30,476
Louisiana$30,431
North Carolina$30,415
Missouri$30,408
Florida$30,284
Montana$30,216
Nebraska$30,152
Kentucky$30,117
South Carolina$29,989
Tennessee$29,909
Idaho$29,877
New Mexico$29,643
Oklahoma$29,592
Alabama$29,403
South Dakota$29,087
Arkansas$28,914
West Virginia$28,821
Mississippi$28,542
Top Paying Cities for Waitstaff / Dishwashers
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: $40,368
San Francisco: $39,926
Oakland: $39,085
San Jose, CA$40,368
San Francisco, CA$39,926
Oakland, CA$39,085
New York, NY$36,851
Paramus, NJ$36,403
Queens Village, NY$36,401
Passaic, NJ$36,371
Bergenfield, NJ$36,368
Stamford, CT$36,297
Huntington, NY$36,284
Newark, NJ$36,048
Bridgeport, CT$35,980
Vallejo, CA$35,916
New Brunswick, NJ$35,904
Petaluma, CA$35,884
Middlesex, NJ$35,824
Somerset, NJ$35,801
Santa Cruz, CA$35,760
Boston, MA$35,564
Monterey, CA$35,452
Seattle, WA$35,379
Santa Rosa, CA$35,372
Los Angeles, CA$35,363
Juneau, AK$35,280
Washington, DC$35,244
Orange, CA$35,130
Santa Ana, CA$35,046
Long Beach, CA$35,014
Anaheim, CA$35,008
Anchorage, AK$34,992
Santa Maria, CA$34,895
Everett, WA$34,889
Danbury, CT$34,776
Bremerton, WA$34,732
Tacoma, WA$34,617
New Suffolk, NY$34,616
Sacramento, CA$34,607
Santa Barbara, CA$34,572
Trenton, NJ$34,537
San Diego, CA$34,537
Brockton, MA$34,502
Fairbanks, AK$34,423
Lompoc, CA$34,342
Lowell, MA$34,316
Ventura, CA$34,310
Nashua, NH$34,303
Stockton, CA$34,300
Modesto, CA$34,067
Poughkeepsie, NY$33,996
Olympia, WA$33,935
Kennewick, WA$33,935
New Haven, CT$33,923
Lawrence, MA$33,807
Hartford, CT$33,775
Riverside, CA$33,769
New Bedford, MA$33,737
Richland, WA$33,737
Bakersfield, CA$33,692
San Bernardino, CA$33,679
New Britain, CT$33,676
Atlantic City, NJ$33,676
New London, CT$33,663
Norwich, CT$33,654
Portsmouth, NH$33,647
Boulder, CO$33,579
Portland, OR$33,535
Worcester, MA$33,532
Minneapolis, MN$33,433
Philadelphia, PA$33,388
Honolulu, HI$33,282
Saint Paul, MN$33,267
Vineland, NJ$33,260
Providence, RI$33,167
Chicago, IL$33,074
Bellingham, WA$33,036
Springfield, MA$33,010
Baltimore, MD$33,001
Chico, CA$32,921
Pittsfield, MA$32,834
Manchester, NH$32,774
Spokane, WA$32,633
Denver, CO$32,630
Albany, NY$32,479
Troy, NY$32,466
Nassau, NY$32,432
Schenectady, NY$32,399
Wilmington, DE$32,373
Burlington, VT$32,329
Salem, OR$32,316
Portland, ME$32,217
Yakima, WA$32,185
Rochester, MN$32,085
Reno, NV$32,069
Fresno, CA$32,069
Milwaukee, WI$32,041
Detroit, MI$32,009
Ann Arbor, MI$32,003
Allentown, PA$31,999
Colorado Springs, CO$31,945
Syracuse, NY$31,929
Carson City, NV$31,929
Houston, TX$31,884
Eugene, OR$31,868
Gary, IN$31,829
Springfield, OR$31,804
Bismarck, ND$31,797
Galveston, TX$31,775
Medford, OR$31,727
Fort Collins, CO$31,714
Concord, NH$31,698
Austin, TX$31,689
Mesa, AZ$31,621
Reading, PA$31,618
Phoenix, AZ$31,615
Dallas, TX$31,605
Saint Cloud, MN$31,575
Madison, WI$31,532
Utica, NY$31,445
Rochester, NY$31,394
Des Moines, IA$31,391
Raleigh, NC$31,388
Atlanta, GA$31,340
Battle Creek, MI$31,330
Salt Lake City, UT$31,320
Lancaster, PA$31,272
Harrisburg, PA$31,228
Kansas City, MO$31,196
Champaign, IL$31,189
Kansas City, KS$31,189
Fort Worth, TX$31,186
Columbus, OH$31,181
Boca Raton, FL$31,173
Pittsburgh, PA$31,160
Richmond, VA$31,148
Indianapolis, IN$31,141
Cleveland, OH$31,138
Las Vegas, NV$31,100
Cincinnati, OH$31,100
Petersburg, VA$31,052
Huntsville, AL$31,004
Lansing, MI$30,982
Lebanon, PA$30,978
Pueblo, CO$30,975
Appleton, WI$30,965
Buffalo, NY$30,952
Dayton, OH$30,943
Racine, WI$30,936
Charlotte, NC$30,933
Saint Louis, MO$30,924
York, PA$30,904
Elkhart, IN$30,904
Gastonia, NC$30,898
Billings, MT$30,891
Beaumont, TX$30,882
Lorain, OH$30,876
Benton Harbor, MI$30,869
Toledo, OH$30,863
Binghamton, NY$30,847
Rock Hill, SC$30,844
Rockford, IL$30,828
Springfield, IL$30,815
Elyria, OH$30,812
Fargo, ND$30,812
Flagstaff, AZ$30,789
Fort Lauderdale, FL$30,770
Duluth, MN$30,751
Miami, FL$30,751
Cheyenne, WY$30,728
Grand Forks, ND$30,728
Bangor, ME$30,658
Cedar Rapids, IA$30,623
Durham, NC$30,609
Louisville, KY$30,607
Grand Rapids, MI$30,600
Hialeah, FL$30,597
Casper, WY$30,552
Scranton, PA$30,514
New Orleans, LA$30,504
Virginia Beach, VA$30,501
Akron, OH$30,485
Peoria, IL$30,444
Sarasota, FL$30,437
Nashville, TN$30,415
Omaha, NE$30,415
Green Bay, WI$30,415
Baton Rouge, LA$30,399
Charleston, SC$30,392
Jamestown, NY$30,376
Davenport, IA$30,376
Tucson, AZ$30,360
Saint Petersburg, FL$30,341
Tampa, FL$30,335
Evansville, IN$30,316
Port Arthur, TX$30,316
Bradenton, FL$30,303
Santa Fe, NM$30,245
Orlando, FL$30,187
Clearwater, FL$30,178
Canton, OH$30,111
La Crosse, WI$30,111
Albuquerque, NM$30,091
Newport News, VA$30,088
High Point, NC$30,079
Ogden, UT$30,066
Corpus Christi, TX$30,040
Norfolk, VA$30,021
Laramie, WY$30,021
Rock Island, IL$30,002
Saginaw, MI$29,995
Jacksonville, FL$29,992
Salisbury, NC$29,986
Boise, ID$29,979
Moline, IL$29,963
Fort Myers, FL$29,954
Memphis, TN$29,947
Tulsa, OK$29,931
Waterloo, IA$29,912
Spartanburg, SC$29,880
Lincoln, NE$29,864
Fort Wayne, IN$29,858
Provo, UT$29,855
Cedar Falls, IA$29,816
San Antonio, TX$29,803
Greensboro, NC$29,791
South Bend, IN$29,787
Savannah, GA$29,752
Muskegon, MI$29,739
Birmingham, AL$29,736
Winston Salem, NC$29,721
Lake Charles, LA$29,643
Anderson, IN$29,637
Lexington, KY$29,627
Augusta, GA$29,618
Greenville, SC$29,618
Lima, OH$29,592
Wichita, KS$29,589
Tuscaloosa, AL$29,589
Columbia, SC$29,560
Springfield, OH$29,554
Asheville, NC$29,503
Bloomington, IN$29,480
Knoxville, TN$29,365
Shreveport, LA$29,362
Wilmington, NC$29,320
Roanoke, VA$29,320
Topeka, KS$29,263
Frankfort, KY$29,259
Oklahoma City, OK$29,237
Chillicothe, OH$29,224
Longview, TX$29,221
Melbourne, FL$29,218
Sioux Falls, SD$29,167
Mobile, AL$29,163
Terre Haute, IN$29,151
Altoona, PA$29,131
Amarillo, TX$29,109
Killeen, TX$29,099
Fayetteville, AR$29,074
Chattanooga, TN$29,064
Sioux City, IA$29,035
Idaho Falls, ID$29,029
Lynchburg, VA$29,003
Gainesville, FL$28,962
Portsmouth, OH$28,946
Little Rock, AR$28,939
Lafayette, LA$28,926
Youngstown, OH$28,926
Daytona Beach, FL$28,907
Clarksville, TN$28,904
Pensacola, FL$28,901
Temple, TX$28,899
Hopkinsville, KY$28,805
Erie, PA$28,798
Florence, SC$28,786
Charleston, WV$28,734
Great Falls, MT$28,718
Macon, GA$28,674
Tallahassee, FL$28,670
Fayetteville, NC$28,664
Waco, TX$28,658
Helena, MT$28,635
Pine Bluff, AR$28,623
Vincennes, IN$28,584
Lubbock, TX$28,571
Alamogordo, NM$28,552
Twin Falls, ID$28,523
Rapid City, SD$28,514
Jackson, MS$28,456
Huntington, WV$28,454
Greenville, MS$28,453
Parkersburg, WV$28,420
Montgomery, AL$28,414
Wichita Falls, TX$28,382
Springfield, MO$28,382
Biloxi, MS$28,366
Monroe, LA$28,334
Johnstown, PA$28,312
Sumter, SC$28,299
Columbus, GA$28,296
Pascagoula, MS$28,235
Abilene, TX$28,235
Kingsport, TN$28,152
Albany, GA$28,152
Gulfport, MS$28,142
Alexandria, LA$28,037
Fort Smith, AR$27,957
El Paso, TX$27,870
Las Cruces, NM$27,726
Harlingen, TX$27,645
Pocatello, ID$27,640
Florence, AL$27,598
Brownsville, TX$27,592
Mcallen, TX$27,525
Dothan, AL$27,480
Columbus, MS$27,290
Altus, OK$27,141
Lawton, OK$27,080
Pierre, SD$26,965
What Skills Can Increase a Waitstaff / Dishwasher's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 6.26% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Food Service (Mentioned in 5.1% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home.
Work Ethic (Mentioned in 2.19% Job Postings): A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Commitment
6.26%
Food Service
5.1%
Work Ethic
2.19%
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 Waitstaff / Dishwasher's salary.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
WFM: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Food Safety: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Commitment
$33,606
5%
WFM
$32,966
3%
Food Safety
$32,646
2%
Innovation
$32,646
2%
Dedication
$32,646
2%
Customer Service
$32,646
2%
Get Latest Data
Waitstaff / Dishwasher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Waitstaff / Dishwasher 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, Healthcare,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Waitstaff / Dishwasher positions in Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Waitstaff / Dishwasher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Waitstaff / Dishwasher
Understanding how a Waitstaff / Dishwasher'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$29,712
Average$32,005/year
$34,142
$2,476
Average$2,667/month
$2,845
$571
Average$615/week
$657
$14
Average$15/hour
$16
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$34,142
$2,845
$657
$16
Average
$32,005
$2,667
$615
$15
25th Percentile
$29,712
$2,476
$571
$14
Salaries of jobs related to Waitstaff / Dishwasher
Salaries for a Waitstaff / Dishwasher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $33,181 in 2023
to around $32,456 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Waitstaff / Dishwasher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Waitstaff / Dishwasher Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$33,181
2024
$33,081
2025
$32,456
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$33,181
2024
$33,081
2025
$32,456
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Waitstaff / Dishwasher
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Waitstaff / Dishwasher
Here are companies hiring for Waitstaff / Dishwasher and their salaries, click below for more details.
M
$110,264/per year
Mskcc
Healthcare
the United States
H
$108,691/per year
Health Street
Healthcare
the United States
P
$107,827/per year
Prime Healthcare Services
Healthcare
the United States
A
$104,578/per year
Adventist Health
Healthcare
the United States
T
$101,083/per year
Texas Medical Center
Healthcare
the United States
T
$100,767/per year
The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia
Healthcare
the United States
N
$99,882/per year
NorthShore
Healthcare
the United States
U
$97,460/per year
University of Chicago Hospitals
Healthcare
the United States
K
$96,749/per year
Kernan Hospital
Healthcare
the United States
H
$96,571/per year
Henry Ford Hospital
Healthcare
the United States
K
$95,670/per year
Kroger Health
Healthcare
the United States
L
$95,092/per year
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Healthcare
the United States
S
$94,767/per year
ScionHealth
Healthcare
the United States
U
$94,333/per year
University of Rochester Medical Center
Healthcare
the United States
L
$94,268/per year
Loma Linda University Health
Healthcare
the United States
L
$93,912/per year
LifePoint Health Inc
Healthcare
the United States
C
$92,971/per year
Capital Division Inc
Healthcare
the United States
B
$92,922/per year
BJC HealthCare
Healthcare
the United States
U
$92,510/per year
UNC Health Care
Healthcare
the United States
O
$91,738/per year
OSF Healthcare System
Healthcare
the United States
C
$91,459/per year
Corewell Health
Healthcare
the United States
B
$91,170/per year
BrightSpring Health Services
Healthcare
the United States
V
$90,584/per year
Vanguard Health Systems Inc
Healthcare
the United States
A
$90,084/per year
AdventHealth
Healthcare
the United States
O
$86,641/per year
Ochsner Health System
Healthcare
the United States
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