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Waiters and Waitresses in California
Considering a career as a Waiter or Waitress in California?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Waiters and Waitresses in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Waiters and Waitresses in California is growing faster than average.
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Waiters and Waitresses in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
How Many Waiters and Waitresses Work in California?
In California, there were 286,930 people working as Waiters and Waitresses in the year 2018.
There were 285,470 Waiters and Waitresses employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 1,460 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 34,020 Waiters and Waitresses working in it, which means California has more Waiters and Waitresses than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Waiters and Waitresses in this state are growing at a rate of 12.8% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.0%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 60,310 annual Waiters and Waitresses job openings in California, and 320,600 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 California?
In 2018 wages for Waiters and Waitresses ranged from $22,370 to $44,540 with $25,090 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $10.75 to $21.41. The median hourly rate was $12.06.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $12.07 an hour.
The hourly rate declined by $0.01.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 105,750 | $25,030 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 42,870 | $29,630 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 30,980 | $25,250 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 23,500 | $23,910 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 15,270 | $24,600 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 15,000 | $26,690 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 6,120 | $24,160 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 5,050 | $25,160 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 4,760 | $24,880 |
| Fresno, CA | 4,210 | $24,680 |
| Salinas, CA | 3,800 | $24,030 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 3,450 | $24,070 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 3,230 | $24,250 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 2,930 | $24,400 |
| Modesto, CA | 2,540 | $23,830 |
| Napa, CA | 2,170 | $25,260 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 2,050 | $25,270 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 1,940 | $27,030 |
| Chico, CA | 1,290 | $23,720 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 1,270 | $24,140 |
| Redding, CA | 1,020 | $24,010 |
| El Centro, CA | 640 | $24,010 |
| Merced, CA | 540 | $23,870 |
| Madera, CA | 510 | $24,590 |
| Yuba City, CA | 420 | $24,050 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 350 | $25,020 |
Top States for Waiters and Waitresses Employment
View the list below to see 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.
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