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.
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. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $62,390
- National median
- $35,230
- Lowest median
- $15,080
- States reporting
- 54
Hawaii
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Louisiana
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Waiters and Waitresses
- 1. Hawaii$62,390 median · $56,743 adjusted · 14,090 employed
- 2. Vermont$59,140 median · $60,373 adjusted · 4,040 employed
- 3. Washington$56,130 median · $52,452 adjusted · 45,400 employed
- 4. Oregon$48,410 median · $46,836 adjusted · 23,040 employed
- 5. District of Columbia$47,850 median · $43,539 adjusted · 11,530 employed
Lowest-paying states for Waiters and Waitresses
- 54. Louisiana$15,080 median · $17,096 adjusted · 33,870 employed
- 53. Oklahoma$17,910 median · $20,389 adjusted · 27,000 employed
- 52. South Carolina$18,370 median · $19,595 adjusted · 47,200 employed
- 51. Georgia$18,700 median · $19,420 adjusted · 76,470 employed
- 50. Guam$20,320 median · no price parity · 1,550 employed
Server salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $62,390 | $30,090 | $96,010 | 14,090 | $56,743 |
| 2 | Vermont | $59,140 | $34,840 | $78,520 | 4,040 | $60,373 |
| 3 | Washington | $56,130 | $45,910 | $73,840 | 45,400 | $52,452 |
| 4 | Oregon | $48,410 | $35,240 | $63,620 | 23,040 | $46,836 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $47,850 | $36,400 | $78,520 | 11,530 | $43,539 |
| 6 | New York | $47,020 | $34,520 | $64,480 | 142,940 | $43,569 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $44,960 | $35,710 | $56,410 | 55,800 | $41,322 |
| 8 | Colorado | $44,860 | $32,610 | $66,360 | 40,680 | $43,531 |
| 9 | Virginia | $44,760 | $32,760 | $56,430 | 59,370 | $44,271 |
| 10 | Arizona | $43,950 | $33,850 | $63,020 | 55,950 | $43,654 |
| 11 | Maine | $43,370 | $32,860 | $62,910 | 9,090 | $44,688 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $38,460 | $35,290 | $45,700 | 54,670 | $36,366 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $38,430 | $30,030 | $51,320 | 10,030 | $36,893 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $37,770 | $35,230 | $48,250 | 22,370 | $36,454 |
| 15 | Michigan | $37,760 | $29,350 | $58,550 | 65,090 | $39,245 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $36,920 | $28,570 | $56,940 | 12,740 | $40,038 |
| 17 | Delaware | $36,880 | $31,200 | $46,400 | 7,580 | $36,951 |
| 18 | Maryland | $36,750 | $32,820 | $47,720 | 38,120 | $35,014 |
| 19 | Ohio | $36,700 | $28,990 | $48,170 | 77,250 | $39,558 |
| 20 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $36,340 | $24,090 | $64,470 | 690 | N/A |
| 21 | Florida | $36,150 | $28,550 | $47,590 | 207,180 | $34,957 |
| 22 | Kansas | $36,120 | $26,830 | $47,690 | 19,480 | $40,103 |
| 23 | California | $36,080 | $34,900 | $39,870 | 229,970 | $32,587 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $35,420 | $31,200 | $50,840 | 10,160 | $34,630 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $35,380 | $22,800 | $47,430 | 8,600 | $39,532 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $34,690 | $24,490 | $46,790 | 82,300 | $35,553 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $33,770 | $28,340 | $46,710 | 13,310 | $37,479 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $32,150 | $20,800 | $48,550 | 71,940 | $34,084 |
| 29 | Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $32,720 | 72,900 | $31,213 |
| 30 | Utah | $31,150 | $22,470 | $48,330 | 17,790 | $31,508 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $30,890 | $21,930 | $44,960 | 5,250 | $34,724 |
| 32 | Idaho | $30,050 | $18,040 | $46,390 | 10,950 | $31,468 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $29,670 | $21,000 | $43,150 | 36,220 | $31,532 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $29,660 | $18,170 | $45,710 | 27,150 | $32,897 |
| 35 | Missouri | $29,400 | $28,600 | $40,150 | 41,640 | $32,373 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $28,990 | $27,910 | $30,640 | 7,350 | $32,725 |
| 37 | Indiana | $28,480 | $20,870 | $36,550 | 43,620 | $30,516 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $27,760 | $16,790 | $37,380 | 52,120 | $30,217 |
| 39 | Alabama | $26,840 | $20,320 | $28,900 | 28,760 | $30,217 |
| 40 | Nevada | $26,410 | $24,960 | $34,160 | 42,520 | $26,416 |
| 41 | Alaska | $26,310 | $25,290 | $29,540 | 3,830 | $25,704 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $25,470 | $23,370 | $31,940 | 37,630 | $25,826 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $24,680 | $23,430 | $30,450 | 17,880 | $28,388 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $23,920 | $20,800 | $38,030 | 3,620 | $25,806 |
| 45 | Montana | $23,370 | $22,290 | $28,960 | 7,200 | $24,692 |
| 46 | Texas | $23,240 | $17,950 | $37,230 | 199,610 | $23,945 |
| 47 | Puerto Rico | $22,790 | $21,840 | $36,690 | 12,260 | N/A |
| 48 | Mississippi | $21,370 | $16,210 | $29,300 | 15,190 | $24,576 |
| 49 | Iowa | $21,000 | $15,080 | $35,370 | 22,410 | $23,928 |
| 50 | Guam | $20,320 | $20,130 | $21,030 | 1,550 | N/A |
| 51 | Georgia | $18,700 | $15,080 | $35,850 | 76,470 | $19,420 |
| 52 | South Carolina | $18,370 | $16,980 | $29,910 | 47,200 | $19,595 |
| 53 | Oklahoma | $17,910 | $16,550 | $28,450 | 27,000 | $20,389 |
| 54 | Louisiana | $15,080 | $15,080 | $23,350 | 33,870 | $17,096 |
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.
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?
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).
Where do Waiters and Waitresses earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Vermont first at $60,373 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $59,140. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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