Jetted FoxCareers · Restaurants & bars
Waiters and waitresses
Take orders and serve food and drinks to customers at tables. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $7.25/hr in Georgia to $22.07/hr in Washington.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $7.96–9.77/hr | $12.91/hr |
| Alaska | $11.91–12.16/hr | $12.65/hr |
| Arizona | $14.70–16.27/hr | $21.13/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.08–11.26/hr | $11.86/hr |
| California | $16.50–16.78/hr | $17.35/hr |
| Colorado | $14.81–15.68/hr | $21.57/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35–16.94/hr | $18.16/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $17.73/hr |
| Florida | $13.09–13.73/hr | $17.38/hr |
| Georgia | $7.25/hr | $8.99/hr |
| Hawaii | $14–14.47/hr | $29.99/hr |
| Idaho | $8.06–8.67/hr | $14.45/hr |
| Illinois | $15/hr | $15/hr |
| Indiana | $8.48–10.03/hr | $13.69/hr |
| Iowa | $7.25/hr | $10.10/hr |
| Kansas | $8.35–12.90/hr | $17.36/hr |
| Kentucky | $7.94–8.74/hr | $14.26/hr |
| Louisiana | $7.25/hr | $7.25/hr |
| Maine | $14.66–15.80/hr | $20.85/hr |
| Maryland | $15–15.78/hr | $17.67/hr |
| Massachusetts | $15.29–16.97/hr | $18.49/hr |
| Michigan | $12.48–14.11/hr | $18.16/hr |
| Minnesota | $11.13–11.24/hr | $12.25/hr |
| Mississippi | $7.37–7.79/hr | $10.27/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75/hr | $14.13/hr |
| Montana | $10.55–10.72/hr | $11.23/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.50–13.63/hr | $16.24/hr |
| Nevada | $12/hr | $12.70/hr |
| New Hampshire | $10.12–14.44/hr | $18.48/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49–17.17/hr | $21.62/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.82–13.74/hr | $17.75/hr |
| New York | $16.12–16.60/hr | $22.61/hr |
| North Carolina | $8.24–10/hr | $15.46/hr |
| North Dakota | $8.88–10.55/hr | $14.85/hr |
| Ohio | $11.45–13.94/hr | $17.65/hr |
| Oklahoma | $7.32–7.96/hr | $8.61/hr |
| Oregon | $15–16.94/hr | $23.27/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $8.85–11.78/hr | $16.68/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15/hr | $17.03/hr |
| South Carolina | $7.25–8.17/hr | $8.83/hr |
| South Dakota | $13–13.42/hr | $13.94/hr |
| Tennessee | $7.25–8.07/hr | $13.35/hr |
| Texas | $8.21–8.63/hr | $11.18/hr |
| Utah | $8.92–10.80/hr | $14.98/hr |
| Vermont | $14.28–16.75/hr | $28.43/hr |
| Virginia | $13.59–15.75/hr | $21.52/hr |
| Washington | $17.65–22.07/hr | $26.98/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.50/hr | $23.01/hr |
| West Virginia | $9.73–10.96/hr | $17.01/hr |
| Wisconsin | $8.09–10.10/hr | $14.26/hr |
| Wyoming | $8.66–10/hr | $11.50/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You work in a restaurant dining room, greeting tables, taking orders, bringing food and drinks, and handling payment. Lunch and dinner rushes are fast. Your pay depends mainly on tips.
The good parts
Tips at busy restaurants can add up to good money. Hired in days with little experience. Schedules can fit around school or another job.
The hard parts
Base pay is low; most income is tips, which change week to week. Demanding or rude customers affect your tips. Nights, weekends and holidays are the money shifts.
Where it leads
Shift lead or kitchen supervisor (after 6–12 months). Restaurant manager (after 2–5 years, through shift lead). lead server or restaurant manager.
Quick answers
Do waiters and waitresses need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for waiters and waitresses?
1–2 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do waiters and waitresses make?
About $8.70–13.34 an hour to start and $16.94 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Similar careers
Bartenders · Fast food and counter workers · Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.