The highest-paying states for waiters and waitresses (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of waiters and waitresses in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $38,520, Arizona is the highest paying state for waiters and waitresses. It is followed by New York (average annual salary $36,970). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of waiters and waitresses in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $38,520 |
$27,440 | 51,070 |
| 2 | New York | $36,970 |
$28,400 | 106,270 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $36,360 |
$32,080 | 8,910 |
| 4 | Washington | $36,350 |
$30,140 | 40,190 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $36,160 |
$27,510 | 52,040 |
| 6 | Maine | $35,780 |
$27,770 | 8,490 |
| 7 | Vermont | $35,240 |
$27,060 | 2,860 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $34,430 |
$30,510 | 42,400 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $34,370 |
$27,760 | 22,650 |
| 10 | California | $31,900 |
$29,600 | 219,180 |
| 11 | Michigan | $30,980 |
$21,910 | 63,810 |
| 12 | Utah | $30,020 |
$19,550 | 14,320 |
| 13 | Oregon | $29,790 |
$27,230 | 21,720 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $29,610 |
$19,660 | 8,190 |
| 15 | Colorado | $29,540 |
$26,410 | 41,770 |
| 16 | Maryland | $29,310 |
$26,000 | 30,870 |
| 17 | Virginia | $29,290 |
$22,880 | 52,300 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $29,270 |
$17,270 | 34,540 |
| 19 | Florida | $28,680 |
$21,110 | 193,290 |
| 20 | Virgin Islands | $28,450 |
$23,330 | 1,000 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $28,440 |
$17,370 | 76,050 |
| 22 | Missouri | $28,200 |
$23,190 | 44,310 |
| 23 | Idaho | $28,180 |
$17,780 | 10,790 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $28,090 |
$23,920 | 12,790 |
| 25 | Delaware | $27,610 |
$21,840 | 6,740 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $27,590 |
$26,040 | 8,130 |
| 27 | Kansas | $27,260 |
$17,860 | 19,290 |
| 28 | Illinois | $27,210 |
$24,960 | 77,500 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $27,190 |
$17,690 | 4,180 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $27,040 |
$22,870 | 6,260 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $26,840 |
$18,200 | 9,430 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $24,280 |
$22,880 | 14,960 |
| 33 | Alaska | $23,590 |
$21,870 | 3,410 |
| 34 | Ohio | $23,390 |
$20,540 | 71,300 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $23,300 |
$21,710 | 37,220 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $22,970 |
$21,040 | 12,950 |
| 37 | Indiana | $22,810 |
$17,240 | 45,890 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $22,810 |
$17,390 | 3,770 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $22,510 |
$20,190 | 12,690 |
| 40 | Georgia | $22,350 |
$16,880 | 76,520 |
| 41 | Nevada | $21,910 |
$19,000 | 37,300 |
| 42 | Iowa | $21,810 |
$17,540 | 15,670 |
| 43 | Texas | $21,580 |
$16,970 | 200,150 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $21,110 |
$16,730 | 69,440 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $21,060 |
$16,640 | 23,910 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $20,720 |
$16,670 | 29,730 |
| 47 | Puerto Rico | $20,680 |
$18,340 | 11,700 |
| 48 | Montana | $20,470 |
$19,140 | 7,450 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $20,430 |
$16,270 | 28,750 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $20,340 |
$17,440 | 53,540 |
| 51 | Guam | $20,240 |
$19,240 | 1,310 |
| 52 | Alabama | $19,900 |
$17,290 | 28,440 |
| 53 | South Carolina | $19,050 |
$17,050 | 41,840 |
| 54 | Mississippi | $18,270 |
$15,430 | 16,960 |