Waiters and Waitresses Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-3031 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$35,235
$16.94/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Waiters and Waitresses is $35,235 per year ($16.94/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $27,747 and $47,112 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $64,730 per year. There are approximately 2,270,910 waiters and waitresses employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.7%
Little or no change
Annual openings
457K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
2.3M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
1.8M
$35,090
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
143K
$35,510
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
76K
$35,150
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
59K
$38,340
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
NAICS 722400
51K
$34,090
Wage range across top 5 industries: $34,090 to $38,340 (12% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$8.70
$18,096
P25
$13.34
$27,747
P50MEDIAN
$16.94
$35,235
P75
$22.65
$47,112
P90
$31.12
$64,730
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average waiters and waitresses salary?
The national median salary for Waiters and Waitresses is $35,235 per year ($16.94/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $27,747 and $47,112 annually.
How much do top-earning waiters and waitresses make?
The 90th percentile salary for Waiters and Waitresses is $64,730 per year ($31.12/hr). The 75th percentile is $47,112 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for waiters and waitresses?
Entry-level Waiters and Waitresses (10th percentile) earn approximately $18,096 per year ($8.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $27,747 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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