Waiters and Waitresses in Iowa

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

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

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

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

How Many Waiters and Waitresses Work in Iowa?

There were approximately 23,550 workers employed as Waiters and Waitresses in this state in 2018.

There were 24,230 Waiters and Waitresses employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 680 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Iowa

Jobs for Waiters and Waitresses in this state are growing at a rate of 7.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.0%.

Iowa Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 4,910 annual Waiters and Waitresses job openings in Iowa, and 26,150 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 Iowa?

In 2018 wages for Waiters and Waitresses ranged from $16,410 to $34,530 with $19,060 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $7.89 to $16.6. The median hourly rate was $9.16.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $9.1 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.06.

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

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Top Iowa 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
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	8,180	$20,390
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	5,060	$20,980
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	3,520	$19,190
Iowa City, IA	2,720	$18,440
Cedar Rapids, IA	1,920	$19,360
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	1,820	$18,620
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	1,050	$18,880
Dubuque, IA	840	$19,210
Ames, IA	720	$18,490

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.