Waiters & waitresses

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

2.01M

Average Age

29.9

Estimated Job Growth

3.73%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$18,961

Average Male Salary

$22,277

Average Female Salary

$17,530

About

Waiters & waitresses are most often employed by the Restaurants & Food Services industry. The average yearly wage for Waiters & waitresses was $18,961 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Waiters & waitresses are Spring Valley & Summerlin South PUMA, NV, Maui, Kalawao & Kauai Counties PUMA, HI, and Paradise (South) & Enterprise PUMA, NV. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Waiters & waitresses are Elmhurst & South Corona PUMA, NY, Asheville City PUMA, NC, and Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach Cities & Socastee (East) PUMA, SC.

Service Occupations Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Waiters & waitresses workforce. Waiters & waitresses workforce in 2021 was 2,011,635 people, of which 69.9% were women and 30.1% were men. Waiters & waitresses are paid most in Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale & West Roxbury PUMA, MA but are relatively concentrated in Elmhurst & South Corona PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

606,253

Male Workforce

± 19.1k

1,405,382

Female Workforce

± 29k

The Waiters & waitresses workforce in 2021 was 2,011,635 people (69.9% women and 30.1% men). This implies an average annual growth of −6.39% between 2014 (2,148,849) and 2021 (2,011,635).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Alaska ($33,169), Nevada ($32,058), and Hawaii ($28,977).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$18,961

AVERAGE WAGE

#514 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Waiters & waitresses earned an average of $18,961, $40,635 less than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Waiters & waitresses in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.415

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Waiters & waitresses had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.415, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. 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 Legal services ($92,921).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

2.01M

2021 Workforce

± 34,587

−5.05%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 2.53%

This graphic shows the share of Waiters & waitresses employed by various industries. Restaurants & Food Services employs the largest share of Waiters & waitresses at 95.3%, followed by Traveler accommodation with 2.44% and Amusement & Recreation with 2.26%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Waiters & waitresses in the US. The workforce of Waiters & waitresses in 2021 was 2,011,635 people, with 69.9% woman, and 30.1% men. The average age of male Waiters & waitresses in the workforce is 29.3 and of female Waiters & waitresses is 30.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Waiters & waitresses is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Waiters & waitresses in 2021 was 2,011,635 people, with 69.9% woman, and 30.1% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 20 to 24 years (585,271 people), 16 to 19 years (358,101 people), and 25 to 29 years (318,081 people). Among them they concentrated 62.7% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 22.6% of Waiters & waitresses workers were Hispanic and 77.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (84.1%), Puerto Rican (9.98)%, and Salvadoran (5.94)%

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

Races

In 2021, 68.4% of the Waiters & waitresses workforce were White, of which 72.8% were women and 27.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (9.02%) and Two or More Races (7.85%).

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 2021 were Personal & Culinary Services.

Among the necessary skills for Waiters & waitresses, Active Listening 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 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (45,907 people), Visual & Performing Arts (23,921 people), and Psychology (17,326 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 Some college (683,316 people), High School or Equivalent (609,199 people), and Secondary Education (283,325 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 Active Listening, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Waiters and Waitresses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Waiters and Waitresses are expected to see a growth of 3.73% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

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

3.73%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.