Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. Excludes "Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop" (35-3022).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
2,289,010 0.5 % $10.05 $20,890 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.73 $8.25 $8.93 $10.61 $14.34
Annual Wage (2) $16,070 $17,160 $18,570 $22,070 $29,820


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 1,761,250 38.69 $9.93 $20,660
Traveler Accommodation 127,350 7.49 $11.87 $24,680
Limited-Service Eating Places 120,320 2.93 $9.03 $18,790
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 64,330 6.04 $10.81 $22,480
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 63,540 18.31 $9.43 $19,620

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 1,761,250 38.69 $9.93 $20,660
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 63,540 18.31 $9.43 $19,620
Special Food Services 51,710 9.05 $11.15 $23,190
Traveler Accommodation 127,350 7.49 $11.87 $24,680
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 64,330 6.04 $10.81 $22,480

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Religious Organizations 190 0.10 $12.68 $26,380
Elementary and Secondary Schools (8) (8) $12.67 $26,350
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 930 0.96 $11.97 $24,890
Traveler Accommodation 127,350 7.49 $11.87 $24,680
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 780 5.86 $11.77 $24,470


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 233,330 16.62 0.93 $10.24 $21,300
Texas 194,710 18.90 1.06 $9.17 $19,070
Florida 178,000 24.89 1.39 $10.08 $20,970
New York 134,250 15.93 0.89 $11.45 $23,820
Pennsylvania 87,790 15.82 0.89 $9.98 $20,750




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 37,380 33.59 1.88 $10.68 $22,210
Florida 178,000 24.89 1.39 $10.08 $20,970
Hawaii 13,970 24.20 1.36 $11.68 $24,300
Montana 8,780 20.65 1.16 $8.94 $18,590
Arizona 48,980 20.58 1.15 $10.05 $20,890




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 7,730 11.99 0.67 $14.06 $29,240
Washington 41,160 15.13 0.85 $13.94 $28,990
Massachusetts 56,620 17.93 1.01 $13.27 $27,600
Vermont 4,550 15.66 0.88 $12.58 $26,170
Oregon 26,530 16.72 0.94 $12.37 $25,720





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 75,580 14.93 0.84 $12.32 $25,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 59,760 15.63 0.88 $10.20 $21,210
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 46,120 18.08 1.01 $9.04 $18,810
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 46,050 12.85 0.72 $10.68 $22,220
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 41,730 18.73 1.05 $9.63 $20,030
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 37,780 18.48 1.04 $9.75 $20,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 36,010 15.59 0.87 $12.11 $25,180
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 35,170 20.70 1.16 $10.36 $21,550
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 31,290 38.81 2.18 $11.09 $23,070
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 31,240 32.10 1.80 $11.28 $23,460




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC 5,660 51.61 2.89 $8.65 $17,980
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 6,320 47.28 2.65 $11.08 $23,040
Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL 3,170 46.56 2.61 $8.42 $17,520
Ocean City, NJ 1,560 43.05 2.41 $10.48 $21,790
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 31,290 38.81 2.18 $11.09 $23,070
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 2,850 38.79 2.17 $8.40 $17,480
Naples-Marco Island, FL 4,240 38.19 2.14 $11.85 $24,640
Brunswick, GA 1,400 37.45 2.10 $8.50 $17,680
Punta Gorda, FL 1,320 33.78 1.89 $10.14 $21,100
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 7,620 32.59 1.83 $11.79 $24,520




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 20,080 14.66 0.82 $14.87 $30,930
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 29,270 17.47 0.98 $14.08 $29,280
Yakima, WA 1,030 13.13 0.74 $14.00 $29,120
Napa, CA 1,870 30.37 1.70 $13.85 $28,800
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1,770 15.91 0.89 $13.74 $28,570
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 2,110 13.58 0.76 $13.33 $27,730
Spokane, WA 3,180 16.22 0.91 $13.09 $27,230
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 1,160 14.76 0.83 $13.07 $27,180
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 4,310 16.89 0.95 $13.01 $27,050
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 1,610 14.11 0.79 $12.98 $27,000

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 5,290 34.81 1.95 $11.70 $24,330
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 5,160 13.55 0.76 $8.55 $17,780
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 4,650 16.88 0.95 $9.52 $19,800
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 4,420 15.95 0.89 $9.47 $19,690
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 4,320 17.83 1.00 $8.66 $18,010

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 610 44.03 2.47 $13.01 $27,060
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 2,930 40.66 2.28 $9.63 $20,020
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area 510 37.65 2.11 $11.33 $23,560
Southwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 450 36.36 2.04 $11.85 $24,650
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 5,290 34.81 1.95 $11.70 $24,330

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 980 13.63 0.76 $14.19 $29,520
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 610 10.60 0.59 $14.15 $29,440
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 780 12.53 0.70 $13.35 $27,760
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 1,070 22.37 1.25 $13.27 $27,600
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 610 44.03 2.47 $13.01 $27,060


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012