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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 35-9031 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$31,200
$15.00/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Hosts and Hostesses salary in 2026?

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

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$22K
P25$28K
P50$31K
P75$36K
P90$44K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.7% (JOLTS, August 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 $31,200 to $36,254 (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 Hosts and Hostesses pay is moving in 2026

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

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.7% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 4.5% to 4.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings rose to 4.7% (up 54K), the highest this year. Quits held at 3.0% (July revised from 3.1%). Hourly churn pressure persists.
  • Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings held at 4.5% (June revised down from 4.8%); quits crept up to 3.1%, the highest of the year. Hourly churn pressure persists.
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 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 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $27,560 and $36,254 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $43,992 per year. There are approximately 432,690 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-1.5%
Slower than average
Annual openings
108K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
430K
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
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
377K$31,200
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
20K$35,580
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
NAICS 722400
8K$31,200
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
7K$32,220
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
6K$35,360
Wage range across top 5 industries: $31,200 to $35,580 (14% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$10.74$22,339
P25$13.25$27,560
P50MEDIAN$15.00$31,200
P75$17.43$36,254
P90$21.15$43,992

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.7%
Quits Rate
3.0%

Retail openings rose 54K to 761K in August, rate up to 4.7% from 4.4% (July, revised), the highest this year. Quits held at 3.0%, so churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary?

The national median salary for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $27,560 and $36,254 annually.

How much do top-earning hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make?

The 90th percentile salary for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is $43,992 per year ($21.15/hr). The 75th percentile is $36,254 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?

Entry-level Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (10th percentile) earn approximately $22,339 per year ($10.74/hr). The 25th percentile is $27,560 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
Fast Food and Counter Workers35-3023$31K/yrWaiters and Waitresses35-3031$35K/yrCooks, Restaurant35-2014$37K/yrFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers35-1012$44K/yrFood Preparation Workers35-2021$35K/yrBrowse all 770+ occupations →

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California41,100 workersFlorida37,100 workersTexas35,550 workersNew York18,640 workersPennsylvania18,020 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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