The salary statistics of waiters and waitresses in the industry sector of retail trade are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare waiters and waitresses salaries in different industries within the retail trade sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $17,050 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $18,400 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $20,450 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $24,380 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $32,600 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for waiters and waitresses in the industry sector of retail trade. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) waiters and waitresses is $32,600. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $20,450. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid waiters and waitresses is $17,050.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of waiters and waitresses in the industry sector of retail trade from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $20,450 | 1.81% | 10.12% |
| 2017 | $20,080 | 3.34% | - |
| 2016 | $19,410 | 3.55% | - |
| 2015 | $18,720 | 2.03% | - |
| 2014 | $18,340 | 0.33% | - |
| 2013 | $18,280 | -0.55% | - |
| 2012 | $18,380 | - | - |
The average salaries of waiters and waitresses in 19 industries in the retail trade sector are shown below. We note that within this industry sector, the salaries vary among different industries. The highest paying industry for waiters and waitresses occupations is the other miscellaneous store retailers industry with an annual salary $23,150. The lowest paying industry is the building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers industry (annual salary $18,080). For detailed waiters and waitresses salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].