Waiters and Waitresses salary · California
Waiters and Waitresses Salary in California
Waiters and Waitresses in California earn a median of $36,080 a year, which is $17.35 an hour. That is $850 above the national median of $35,230, a difference of 2 percent. The state employs 229,970.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $36,080 | $35,230 |
| Median hourly | $17.35 | $16.94 |
| Mean annual | $44,600 | $40,060 |
| 10th percentile | $34,320 | $18,100 |
| 90th percentile | $68,950 | $64,720 |
| Employment | 229,970 | 2,270,910 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for waiters and waitresses. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for waiters and waitresses May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $47,020 | $22.61 | 142,940 |
| Virginia | $44,760 | $21.52 | 59,370 |
| Arizona | $43,950 | $21.13 | 55,950 |
| Michigan | $37,760 | $18.16 | 65,090 |
| Ohio | $36,700 | $17.65 | 77,250 |
| Florida | $36,150 | $17.38 | 207,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,690 | $16.68 | 82,300 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 | $15.46 | 71,940 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $15.00 | 72,900 |
| Texas | $23,240 | $11.18 | 199,610 |
| Georgia | $18,700 | $8.99 | 76,470 |
Common questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make in California?
The median salary for waiters and waitresses in California is $36,080 a year, or $17.35 an hour. That is $850 above the national median of $35,230, a difference of 2 percent. California employs 229,970 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a waiters and waitresse?
On pay alone, California ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for waiters and waitresses in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $34,320 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $68,950 or more. The middle half falls between $34,900 and $39,870.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 35-3031 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national waiters and waitresses salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.