Waiters and Waitresses in Arkansas

Get the information you need to know about working as a Waiter or Waitress.

You’re in luck! Jobs for Waiters and Waitresses in Arkansas are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Waiters and Waitresses in Arkansas is growing faster than average.

• Waiters and Waitresses in Arkansas earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Waiters and Waitresses Work in Arkansas?

In 2018, there were 18,720 Waiters and Waitresses working in the state.

There were 17,870 Waiters and Waitresses employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 850 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 34,020 Waiters and Waitresses working in it, which means Arkansas has fewer Waiters and Waitresses than average.

Job Projections for Arkansas

Jobs for Waiters and Waitresses in this state are growing at a rate of 12.5% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.0%.

Arkansas Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 4,110 annual Waiters and Waitresses job openings in Arkansas, and 21,830 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 522,700 annual jobs and 2,783,000 total jobs in 2026.

What do Waiters and Waitresses Make in Arkansas?

In 2018 wages for Waiters and Waitresses ranged from $18,350 to $22,240 with $19,220 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $8.82 to $10.69. The median hourly rate was $9.24.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $9.12 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.12.

The median salary in Arkansas is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top Arkansas Metros for Waiters and Waitresses

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Waiters and Waitresses.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	9,670	$18,320
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	5,920	$19,250
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	4,410	$19,280
Fort Smith, AR-OK	1,640	$19,000
Hot Springs, AR	1,070	$19,130
Texarkana, TX-AR	1,010	$18,880
Jonesboro, AR	890	$19,100
Pine Bluff, AR	220	$19,300

Top States for Waiters and Waitresses Employment

The table below shows the states where most Waiters and Waitresses work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	286,930	$25,090
Texas	216,670	$19,210
Florida	211,860	$19,620
New York	167,250	$28,410
Pennsylvania	98,970	$22,850
Ohio	94,720	$19,490
Illinois	83,910	$19,410
North Carolina	82,600	$19,140
Georgia	81,920	$18,500
Michigan	80,880	$20,020
Virginia	72,420	$20,030
Massachusetts	66,250	$27,020
New Jersey	58,820	$25,480
Washington	54,770	$27,720
Tennessee	53,200	$18,290
Minnesota	50,490	$22,360
Colorado	50,390	$21,230
Indiana	49,530	$19,210
Arizona	48,830	$23,370
Missouri	48,060	$19,080

Below are the states where Waiters and Waitresses get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$48,860
Vermont	$31,880
District of Columbia	$30,240
New York	$28,410
Washington	$27,720
Massachusetts	$27,020
New Jersey	$25,480
California	$25,090
Oregon	$24,130
Rhode Island	$23,980

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.