How Much Do Waiters and Waitresses Make in 2021 (including Starting Salary)

Stan T.Career, SalaryLeave a Comment

Annual Salary, Salary Range, and Highest Paying States and Industries

Waiters and Waitresses

Waiters and Waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Salary
$27470
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth

Personality



Table of contents
  1. Average salary
  2. Starting salary
  3. Salary rank
  4. Salary range
  5. Highest paying states
  6. Highest paying industries

Average salary

Annual salary
$27470 per year
Hourly wage
$13 per hour

Starting salary

Entry-level annual salary
$17,520 to $19,290 per year
Entry-level hourly wage
$8 to $9 per hour

Entry-level Waiters and Waitresses with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $17,520 to $19,290 per year or $8 to $9 per hour. Similar to any other job, their salary will increase as they gain experience.

Salary rank

Salary rank
D

We wanted to make it easy for our readers to compare the salary of Waiters and Waitresses to all the other careers out there. So we created Salary Rank. We compared the salary of all careers then we gave them a rank of A, B, C, or D depending on where their average salary sit in comparison to other careers.

Salary range

Level Hourly Annual
Highest (Top 10%) $20 $42,550
Senior (Top 25%) $15 $30,650
Middle (Mid 50%) $11 $23,740
Junior (Bottom 25%) $9 $19,290
No experience (Bottom 10%) $8 $17,520

Highest paying states

State Hourly Annual
HI $29 $60,010
DC $27 $55,200
WA $20 $40,700
NY $19 $39,510
AZ $18 $38,400
VT $17 $34,490
CA $16 $34,300
MA $16 $33,420
CT $16 $32,300
CO $15 $31,160

Another simple way to increase your salary as a Waiter and Waitress is to move to a higher paying state. However moving to a higher paying state like HI doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the expenses at HI might be much higher than where you are currently living at right now.

According to BLS, the highest paid Waiters and Waitresses are in the states of HI, DC, WA, NY and AZ.

Highest paying industries

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services $36250 $17.43
Management of Companies and Enterprises $34450 $16.56
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities $33990 $16.34
Clothing Stores $33920 $16.31
Special Food Services $32260 $15.51
Traveler Accommodation $31940 $15.35
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations $31740 $15.26
Grantmaking and Giving Services $31510 $15.15
Employment Services $31480 $15.14
Technical and Trade Schools $31240 $15.02
Elementary and Secondary Schools $31220 $15.01
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing $30850 $14.83
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals $30310 $14.57
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools $30240 $14.54
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water $30210 $14.52
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers $29940 $14.40
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land $29900 $14.38
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events $29410 $14.14
Other Support Services $29240 $14.06
Civic and Social Organizations $29020 $13.95
RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps $28820 $13.86
Individual and Family Services $28730 $13.81
Spectator Sports $28550 $13.73
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores $28410 $13.66
Building Material and Supplies Dealers $27980 $13.45
Beverage Manufacturing $27940 $13.43
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions $27550 $13.25
Facilities Support Services $27440 $13.19
Real Estate $27300 $13.13
Performing Arts Companies $27230 $13.09

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