Waiters & waitresses

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

1.85M

Average Age

29.7

Estimated Job Growth

−0.695%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$22,233

Average Male Salary

$25,618

Average Female Salary

$20,710

About

Waiters & waitresses are most often employed by the Restaurants & Food Services industry. The average yearly wage for Waiters & waitresses was $22,233 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Waiters & waitresses are Maui, Kalawao & Kauai Counties PUMA, HI, Orange County (South Central)--Orlando City (South Central), Conway & Pine Castle PUMA, FL, and NYC-Queens Community District 4--Elmhurst & Corona PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Waiters & waitresses are Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, NYC-Queens Community District 4--Elmhurst & Corona PUMA, NY, and Orange County (South Central)--Orlando City (South Central), Conway & Pine Castle PUMA, FL.

Service Occupations Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Waiters & waitresses workforce. Waiters & waitresses workforce in 2024 was 1,850,112 people, of which 69% were women and 31% were men.

Waiters & waitresses are paid most in Central Colorado Springs PUMA, CO but are relatively concentrated in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

574,155

Male Workforce

± 18.6k

1,275,957

Female Workforce

± 27.6k

The Waiters & waitresses workforce in 2024 was 1,850,112 people (69% women and 31% men). This implies an average annual growth of −14.3% between 2014 (2,157,606) and 2024 (1,850,112).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Waiters & waitresses.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Alaska ($36,902), Nevada ($35,888), and District of Columbia ($32,885).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$22,233

AVERAGE WAGE

#466 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Waiters & waitresses earned an average of $22,233, $47,645 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Waiters & waitresses in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Waiters & waitresses had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.439, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Waiters & waitresses (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Waiters & waitresses compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Waiters & waitresses and on wages for those in the field. Restaurants & Food Services is the industry that employs the most Waiters & waitresses, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Waiters & waitresses, by average wage, is Services incidental to transportation ($49,798).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

1.85M

2024 Workforce

± 33,195

−2.33%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 2.58%

This graphic shows the share of Waiters & waitresses employed by various industries. Restaurants & Food Services employs the largest share of Waiters & waitresses at 95.5%, followed by Traveler accommodation with 1.94% and Amusement & Recreation with 1.9%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Waiters & waitresses in the US. The workforce of Waiters & waitresses in 2024 was 1,850,112 people, with 69% woman, and 31% men. The average age of male Waiters & waitresses in the workforce is 29.3 and of female Waiters & waitresses is 29.9, and the most common race/ethnicity for Waiters & waitresses is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Waiters & waitresses in 2024 was 1,850,112 people, with 69% woman, and 31% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 20 to 24 years (521,301 people), 16 to 19 years (387,196 people), and 25 to 29 years (255,476 people). Among them they concentrated 62.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 25.1% of Waiters & waitresses workers were Hispanic and 74.9% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (57.9%), Puerto Rican (9.26)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (4.68)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 58.4% of the Waiters & waitresses workforce were White, of which 73.2% were women and 26.8% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (15.6%) and Other (9.1%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Waiters & waitresses from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Waiters & waitresses is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Personal & Culinary Services.

Among the necessary skills for Waiters & waitresses, Service Orientation stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Waiters & waitresses need more than the average amount of Service Orientation.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Waiters & waitresses in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (45,090 people), Visual & Performing Arts (21,538 people), and Psychology (17,940 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Waiters & waitresses workers were High School or Equivalent (583,650 people), Some college (569,386 people), and Secondary Education (282,199 people).

The graphic shows the Waiters & waitresses workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Waiters & waitresses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Waiters & waitresses need many skills, but most especially Service Orientation, Speaking, Active Listening.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Waiters and Waitresses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Waiters and Waitresses are expected to see a growth of −0.695% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Waiters and Waitresses.

−0.695%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Waiters & waitresses. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.