How much should I pay a waiters and waitresses in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Waiters and Waitresses is $35,235 to $47,112 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows retail trade wages growing about 3.4% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a waiters and waitresses?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $27,747 is below market, $35,235 to $47,112 is competitive, and above $47,112 is above market for Waiters and Waitresses.

How is waiters and waitresses pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 4.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI). Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

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

Is this a competitive Waiters and Waitresses salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$18K

P25$28K

P50$35K

P75$47K

P90$65K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $35,235 to $47,112 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Waiters and Waitresses pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 4.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

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

4.8%

Quits Rate

3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

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.

Related Salary Data

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Waiters and Waitresses Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California229,970 workers Florida207,180 workers Texas199,610 workers New York142,940 workers Pennsylvania82,300 workers

About This Data

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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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