Hospitality · Rankings

Best US Cities for Server (Waiter/Waitress)s

Top US cities for Server (Waiter/Waitress)s ranked by estimated median salary, with cost-of-living-adjusted earning power.

Top 10 cities by salary

#	City	Estimated salary	Cost mult.	vs national
1	Honolulu, HI	$40,300	1.30×	+$10,300
2	San Francisco, CA	$39,500	1.45×	+$9,500
3	Los Angeles, CA	$38,400	1.22×	+$8,400
4	Anaheim, CA	$37,500	1.18×	+$7,500
5	Scottsdale, AZ	$37,500	1.18×	+$7,500
6	Oakland, CA	$37,400	1.35×	+$7,400
7	New York City, NY	$36,700	1.32×	+$6,700
8	San Diego, CA	$36,500	1.21×	+$6,500
9	Irvine, CA	$36,300	1.30×	+$6,300
10	Miami, FL	$36,100	1.12×	+$6,100

All 50 cities, ranked

#	City	Salary	Hourly
1	Honolulu, HI	$40,300	$19/hr
2	San Francisco, CA	$39,500	$19/hr
3	Los Angeles, CA	$38,400	$18/hr
4	Anaheim, CA	$37,500	$18/hr
5	Scottsdale, AZ	$37,500	$18/hr
6	Oakland, CA	$37,400	$18/hr
7	New York City, NY	$36,700	$18/hr
8	San Diego, CA	$36,500	$18/hr
9	Irvine, CA	$36,300	$17/hr
10	Miami, FL	$36,100	$17/hr
11	Long Beach, CA	$35,800	$17/hr
12	Boston, MA	$34,600	$17/hr
13	Las Vegas, NV	$34,200	$16/hr
14	Yonkers, NY	$34,200	$16/hr
15	Anchorage, AK	$34,200	$16/hr
16	Seattle, WA	$33,800	$16/hr
17	Henderson, NV	$33,700	$16/hr
18	Reno, NV	$33,700	$16/hr
19	Orlando, FL	$33,500	$16/hr
20	Chula Vista, CA	$33,200	$16/hr
21	Frisco, TX	$33,000	$16/hr
22	Phoenix, AZ	$32,200	$15/hr
23	Tampa, FL	$32,200	$15/hr
24	Charleston, SC	$32,200	$15/hr
25	Portland, OR	$32,100	$15/hr
26	Newark, NJ	$32,100	$15/hr
27	Sacramento, CA	$32,100	$15/hr
28	Riverside, CA	$32,100	$15/hr
29	New Orleans, LA	$31,900	$15/hr
30	Virginia Beach, VA	$31,800	$15/hr
31	Denver, CO	$31,700	$15/hr
32	Nashville, TN	$31,600	$15/hr
33	Colorado Springs, CO	$31,600	$15/hr
34	St. Petersburg, FL	$31,600	$15/hr
35	Chicago, IL	$31,100	$15/hr
36	Austin, TX	$31,100	$15/hr
37	Baltimore, MD	$31,100	$15/hr
38	Stockton, CA	$31,100	$15/hr
39	Aurora, CO	$31,100	$15/hr
40	Hialeah, FL	$31,100	$15/hr
41	Tucson, AZ	$31,000	$15/hr
42	Glendale, AZ	$31,000	$15/hr
43	Minneapolis, MN	$30,800	$15/hr
44	Plano, TX	$30,800	$15/hr
45	Chandler, AZ	$30,800	$15/hr
46	Arlington, TX	$30,700	$15/hr
47	Philadelphia, PA	$30,400	$15/hr
48	Atlanta, GA	$30,400	$15/hr
49	Gilbert, AZ	$30,400	$15/hr
50	Salt Lake City, UT	$30,400	$15/hr
51	San Antonio, TX	$30,200	$15/hr
52	Wilmington, DE	$30,000	$14/hr
53	Raleigh, NC	$30,000	$14/hr
54	St. Paul, MN	$30,000	$14/hr
55	Chesapeake, VA	$30,000	$14/hr
56	North Las Vegas, NV	$30,000	$14/hr
57	Boise, ID	$30,000	$14/hr
58	Fresno, CA	$30,000	$14/hr
59	Knoxville, TN	$30,000	$14/hr
60	Worcester, MA	$30,000	$14/hr
61	Dallas, TX	$29,800	$14/hr
62	Bakersfield, CA	$29,800	$14/hr
63	Madison, WI	$29,800	$14/hr
64	Norfolk, VA	$29,600	$14/hr
65	Jacksonville, FL	$29,400	$14/hr
66	Charlotte, NC	$29,400	$14/hr
67	Mesa, AZ	$29,400	$14/hr
68	Houston, TX	$29,200	$14/hr
69	Fort Worth, TX	$29,200	$14/hr
70	Garland, TX	$29,200	$14/hr
71	Spokane, WA	$29,200	$14/hr
72	Pittsburgh, PA	$29,000	$14/hr
73	Tallahassee, FL	$29,000	$14/hr
74	Milwaukee, WI	$28,700	$14/hr
75	Albuquerque, NM	$28,700	$14/hr
76	Grand Rapids, MI	$28,500	$14/hr
77	Columbus, OH	$28,300	$14/hr
78	Detroit, MI	$28,300	$14/hr
79	Cincinnati, OH	$28,300	$14/hr
80	Kansas City, MO	$28,300	$14/hr
81	Lexington, KY	$28,300	$14/hr
82	Corpus Christi, TX	$28,300	$14/hr
83	Buffalo, NY	$28,300	$14/hr
84	Greensboro, NC	$28,300	$14/hr
85	El Paso, TX	$28,100	$14/hr
86	Cleveland, OH	$28,100	$14/hr
87	St. Louis, MO	$28,100	$14/hr
88	Winston-Salem, NC	$28,100	$14/hr
89	Indianapolis, IN	$27,900	$13/hr
90	Louisville, KY	$27,900	$13/hr
91	Omaha, NE	$27,900	$13/hr
92	Memphis, TN	$27,700	$13/hr
93	Oklahoma City, OK	$27,700	$13/hr
94	Lincoln, NE	$27,700	$13/hr
95	Birmingham, AL	$27,500	$13/hr
96	Toledo, OH	$27,500	$13/hr
97	Lubbock, TX	$27,500	$13/hr
98	Wichita, KS	$27,100	$13/hr
99	Fort Wayne, IN	$27,100	$13/hr
100	Mobile, AL	$27,100	$13/hr

Does location actually decide Server (Waiter/Waitress) pay?

Unlike remote-capable roles, a Server (Waiter/Waitress) cannot separate where they earn from where they live. The $40,300 to $27,100 range across these metros is therefore a genuine relocation decision, not an arbitrage opportunity.

Licensing adds friction the ranking does not show. Server (Waiter/Waitress) requires Alcohol server permit required in many states if serving alcohol, and licenses are issued state by state. Moving for a higher salary can mean re-credentialing, which takes time and sometimes additional exams — check reciprocity with the destination board before treating a pay gap as attainable.

Highest-paying is not the same as best-off

The nominal ranking and the useful ranking are not the same. In Honolulu, $40,300 against $2,100/month rent leaves roughly $15,100 a year after housing. In Mobile, $27,100 against $850 leaves about $16,900. The bottom of the pay list beats the top once rent is subtracted — which is the whole reason to look past headline salary.

Why these metros and not others

What puts a metro near the top here is employer density, not price level. Honolulu (U.S. Pacific Fleet/Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Queen's Health Systems); San Francisco (Salesforce, Google); Los Angeles (Walt Disney Company, Netflix). Where hospitality employers compete for the same candidates, offers rise above what the local cost of living alone would predict.

Salaries are modelled from BLS national medians adjusted for local price level at a wage elasticity below 1 — pay rises with local costs but not proportionally. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which city pays Server (Waiter/Waitress)s the most?▾

Honolulu, at roughly $40,300. Rent there averages $2,100 a month for a one-bedroom, so about $25,200 of that salary goes to housing before anything else. The metros near the top combine high local costs with concentrated hospitality employment — the second part is what actually lifts pay above the local baseline.

Does a bigger salary here mean more money left over?▾

Usually not. The cost-adjusted column matters more than the nominal one — a Server (Waiter/Waitress) earning less in a cheaper metro often keeps more. Rank by what remains after housing and tax, not by gross.

Can a Server (Waiter/Waitress) work remotely from a cheaper city?▾

Largely no — the work has to be done on site. For this occupation the metro you live in and the metro that pays you are the same, which makes the ranking above a genuine relocation decision rather than something you can arbitrage.

Do I need a new license to work as a Server (Waiter/Waitress) in another state?▾

Often yes. Server (Waiter/Waitress) requires Alcohol server permit required in many states if serving alcohol, issued state by state. Some states have reciprocity agreements that make the transfer routine; others require re-examination. Confirm with the destination board before treating a higher-paying metro as reachable.