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Waiters and Waitresses in California

Want to work as a Waiters and Waitresses in California? Here’s what the data says. Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. Excludes “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (35-3023).

What do Waiters and Waitresses Make in California?

For waiters and waitresses working in California, the typical annual salary is $35,290 per year (or roughly $16.97/hour).Earnings range from $33,310 at the 10th percentile to $70,450 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$33,310	$16.02
25th percentile	$34,230	$16.46
Median (50th)	$35,290	$16.97
75th percentile	$39,210	$18.85
90th percentile	$70,450	$33.87

The job concentration index in California compared to the national average — is 0.90.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, waiters and waitresses earn a median of $42,006 per year ($20.20/hour), below the California median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 1,737,342 waiters and waitresses nationwide. In California alone, about 243,300 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 27,800 waiters and waitresses.

Top California Metros for Waiters and Waitresses

These are the California metros with the most waiters and waitresses in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	91,020	$35,060
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	30,450	$37,360
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	24,800	$35,060
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	21,450	$34,350
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	14,840	$35,070
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	12,660	$40,620
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	4,850	$34,150
Fresno, CA	4,500	$33,290
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	4,050	$36,310
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	3,710	$34,340
Salinas, CA	3,460	$35,390
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	3,210	$33,350
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	2,860	$34,540
Stockton-Lodi, CA	2,520	$33,760
Napa, CA	2,290	$37,090
Modesto, CA	2,280	$34,310
Vallejo, CA	1,810	$36,180
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	1,800	$35,270
Visalia, CA	1,430	$33,650
Chico, CA	1,150	$33,560
Redding, CA	760	$33,600
Merced, CA	630	$33,420
Yuba City, CA	530	$33,690
El Centro, CA	520	$33,310
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	260	$33,740

Top States for Waiters and Waitresses Employment

The table below shows the states where the most waiters and waitresses work.

State	Number Employed
California	243,300
Texas	210,170
Florida	208,920
New York	140,890
Illinois	84,550
Pennsylvania	82,920
Ohio	76,260
North Carolina	74,110
Georgia	71,870
Michigan	64,920
Virginia	61,260
New Jersey	56,560
Arizona	55,010
Tennessee	53,400
Massachusetts	50,160
Indiana	43,880
South Carolina	43,730
Washington	43,720
Missouri	43,360
Colorado	42,510

Highest-Paying States for Waiters and Waitresses

These states pay the most for waiters and waitresses.

State	Annual Median Salary
Vermont	$60,910
Hawaii	$48,570
Washington	$47,490
New York	$46,460
District of Columbia	$45,770
Maine	$44,550
Rhode Island	$42,600
New Hampshire	$39,270
New Jersey	$38,720
Virginia	$36,990

Skills

Top waiters and waitresses skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for waiters and waitresses, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, waiters and waitresses typically:

• Collect payments from customers.
• Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
• Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
• Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
• Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
• Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
• Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
• Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
• Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
• Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
• Prepare tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.

Work Activities

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Getting Information
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Facebook

Related Careers

Related occupations to waiters and waitresses include:

• Food Service Managers
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Private Household

Also Known As

Banquet Server, Banquet Waiter, Banquet Waitress, Bar Waiter, Bar Waitress, Buffet Waiter, Buffet Waitress, Busser, Carhop, Club Waiter, Club Waitress, Cocktail Server, Cocktail Waitress, Deck Steward, Dining Car Server.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 35-3031.00