Pay by state · 54 areas
Server Salary by State (2026)
Waiters and Waitresses earn the most in Hawaii at $62,390 a year and the least in Louisiana at $15,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,230. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $62,390Hawaii
- National median
- $35,230BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $15,080Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for waiters and waitresses
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, Vermont comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Hawaii$62,390
- 2Vermont$59,140
- 3Washington$56,130
- 4Oregon$48,410
- 5District of Columbia$47,850
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$15,080
- 2Oklahoma$17,910
- 3South Carolina$18,370
- 4Georgia$18,700
- 5Iowa$21,000
All states
Server salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of waiters and waitresses OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $62,390 | $30,090 | $96,010 | 14,090 | $56,743 |
| 2 | VTVermont | $59,140 | $34,840 | $78,520 | 4,040 | $60,373 |
| 3 | WAWashington | $56,130 | $45,910 | $73,840 | 45,400 | $52,452 |
| 4 | OROregon | $48,410 | $35,240 | $63,620 | 23,040 | $46,836 |
| 5 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $47,850 | $36,400 | $78,520 | 11,530 | $43,539 |
| 6 | NYNew York | $47,020 | $34,520 | $64,480 | 142,940 | $43,569 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $44,960 | $35,710 | $56,410 | 55,800 | $41,322 |
| 8 | COColorado | $44,860 | $32,610 | $66,360 | 40,680 | $43,531 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $44,760 | $32,760 | $56,430 | 59,370 | $44,271 |
| 10 | AZArizona | $43,950 | $33,850 | $63,020 | 55,950 | $43,654 |
| 11 | MEMaine | $43,370 | $32,860 | $62,910 | 9,090 | $44,688 |
| 12 | MAMassachusetts | $38,460 | $35,290 | $45,700 | 54,670 | $36,366 |
| 13 | NHNew Hampshire | $38,430 | $30,030 | $51,320 | 10,030 | $36,893 |
| 14 | CTConnecticut | $37,770 | $35,230 | $48,250 | 22,370 | $36,454 |
| 15 | MIMichigan | $37,760 | $29,350 | $58,550 | 65,090 | $39,245 |
| 16 | NMNew Mexico | $36,920 | $28,570 | $56,940 | 12,740 | $40,038 |
| 17 | DEDelaware | $36,880 | $31,200 | $46,400 | 7,580 | $36,951 |
| 18 | MDMaryland | $36,750 | $32,820 | $47,720 | 38,120 | $35,014 |
| 19 | OHOhio | $36,700 | $28,990 | $48,170 | 77,250 | $39,558 |
| 20 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $36,340 | $24,090 | $64,470 | 690 | N/A |
| 21 | FLFlorida | $36,150 | $28,550 | $47,590 | 207,180 | $34,957 |
| 22 | KSKansas | $36,120 | $26,830 | $47,690 | 19,480 | $40,103 |
| 23 | CACalifornia | $36,080 | $34,900 | $39,870 | 229,970 | $32,587 |
| 24 | RIRhode Island | $35,420 | $31,200 | $50,840 | 10,160 | $34,630 |
| 25 | WVWest Virginia | $35,380 | $22,800 | $47,430 | 8,600 | $39,532 |
| 26 | PAPennsylvania | $34,690 | $24,490 | $46,790 | 82,300 | $35,553 |
| 27 | NENebraska | $33,770 | $28,340 | $46,710 | 13,310 | $37,479 |
| 28 | NCNorth Carolina | $32,150 | $20,800 | $48,550 | 71,940 | $34,084 |
| 29 | ILIllinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $32,720 | 72,900 | $31,213 |
| 30 | UTUtah | $31,150 | $22,470 | $48,330 | 17,790 | $31,508 |
| 31 | NDNorth Dakota | $30,890 | $21,930 | $44,960 | 5,250 | $34,724 |
| 32 | IDIdaho | $30,050 | $18,040 | $46,390 | 10,950 | $31,468 |
| 33 | WIWisconsin | $29,670 | $21,000 | $43,150 | 36,220 | $31,532 |
| 34 | KYKentucky | $29,660 | $18,170 | $45,710 | 27,150 | $32,897 |
| 35 | MOMissouri | $29,400 | $28,600 | $40,150 | 41,640 | $32,373 |
| 36 | SDSouth Dakota | $28,990 | $27,910 | $30,640 | 7,350 | $32,725 |
| 37 | INIndiana | $28,480 | $20,870 | $36,550 | 43,620 | $30,516 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $27,760 | $16,790 | $37,380 | 52,120 | $30,217 |
| 39 | ALAlabama | $26,840 | $20,320 | $28,900 | 28,760 | $30,217 |
| 40 | NVNevada | $26,410 | $24,960 | $34,160 | 42,520 | $26,416 |
| 41 | AKAlaska | $26,310 | $25,290 | $29,540 | 3,830 | $25,704 |
| 42 | MNMinnesota | $25,470 | $23,370 | $31,940 | 37,630 | $25,826 |
| 43 | ARArkansas | $24,680 | $23,430 | $30,450 | 17,880 | $28,388 |
| 44 | WYWyoming | $23,920 | $20,800 | $38,030 | 3,620 | $25,806 |
| 45 | MTMontana | $23,370 | $22,290 | $28,960 | 7,200 | $24,692 |
| 46 | TXTexas | $23,240 | $17,950 | $37,230 | 199,610 | $23,945 |
| 47 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,790 | $21,840 | $36,690 | 12,260 | N/A |
| 48 | MSMississippi | $21,370 | $16,210 | $29,300 | 15,190 | $24,576 |
| 49 | IAIowa | $21,000 | $15,080 | $35,370 | 22,410 | $23,928 |
| 50 | GUGuam | $20,320 | $20,130 | $21,030 | 1,550 | N/A |
| 51 | GAGeorgia | $18,700 | $15,080 | $35,850 | 76,470 | $19,420 |
| 52 | SCSouth Carolina | $18,370 | $16,980 | $29,910 | 47,200 | $19,595 |
| 53 | OKOklahoma | $17,910 | $16,550 | $28,450 | 27,000 | $20,389 |
| 54 | LALouisiana | $15,080 | $15,080 | $23,350 | 33,870 | $17,096 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For waiters and waitresses, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $62,390, while Vermont leads once prices are taken into account at $60,373.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Server pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays waiters and waitresses the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for waiters and waitresses at $62,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Vermont ($59,140) and Washington ($56,130).
Which state pays waiters and waitresses the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for waiters and waitresses at $15,080 a year, $47,310 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $36,340, Puerto Rico reports $22,790 and Guam reports $20,320.
Is the highest-paying state the best for waiters and waitresses after cost of living?
Not on this data. Hawaii pays the most on paper ($62,390) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($56,743). Vermont leads after that adjustment at $60,373, from a raw median of $59,140. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.