Dishwashers
Dishwashers (SOC 35-9021) earn a median $34,810 a year ($16.73 an hour) in the United States, with 477,450 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What dishwashers do
Dishwashers keep a kitchen supplied with clean plates, glasses, flatware, pots, and pans. They scrape and rinse leftover food, load racks for a commercial dish machine, run the cycle, and then unload and put everything away in the right place. Pots, pans, and other cooking equipment are washed by hand when they cannot go through the machine. They also sweep and scrub floors, sort and remove trash, wipe down prep tables and equipment, and sometimes stock supplies at cooking stations. Workers also carry supplies between storage and work areas by hand or on hand trucks. The job differs from food preparation workers, who handle ingredients, and from dining room attendants, who clear tables in front of the house. Some also clean or prepare foods for cooking or serving and stock salad bars and serving stations.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 56 percent).
Also called: Breakdown Person, Bus Person, Busser, Dish Machine Operator (DMO), Dish Person.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.59 | $14.27 | $16.73 | $18.00 | $20.61 | $16.49 | 477,450 |
| Annual | $26,200 | $29,690 | $34,810 | $37,440 | $42,860 | $34,310 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where dishwashers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.10 | $17.47 | $19.27 | $21.64 | $23.73 | $19.96 | 12,630 | 3.56 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $35,570 | $36,330 | $40,080 | $45,010 | $49,360 | $41,510 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.13 | $18.30 | $18.59 | $19.10 | $21.25 | $19.45 | 3,580 | 5.10 | 1.66 |
| Annual | $37,710 | $38,060 | $38,670 | $39,720 | $44,190 | $40,450 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $16.90 | $17.43 | $18.21 | $20.42 | $21.94 | $19.09 | 74,160 | 4.07 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $35,160 | $36,260 | $37,870 | $42,480 | $45,640 | $39,710 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $14.86 | $16.64 | $18.19 | $19.77 | $21.80 | $18.27 | 8,500 | 2.96 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $30,900 | $34,620 | $37,840 | $41,120 | $45,340 | $38,000 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.18 | $15.50 | $18.14 | $23.39 | $29.41 | $19.92 | 4,520 | 7.20 | 2.35 |
| Annual | $29,500 | $32,240 | $37,740 | $48,650 | $61,160 | $41,430 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.90 | $17.43 | $18.21 | $20.42 | $21.94 | $19.09 | 74,160 | 4.07 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $35,160 | $36,260 | $37,870 | $42,480 | $45,640 | $39,710 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.58 | $14.00 | $15.02 | $16.90 | $17.79 | $15.60 | 40,480 | 4.08 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $28,250 | $29,120 | $31,240 | $35,150 | $37,010 | $32,450 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.54 | $12.31 | $14.23 | $16.49 | $17.65 | $14.29 | 33,630 | 2.39 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $21,920 | $25,610 | $29,610 | $34,300 | $36,720 | $29,720 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.50 | $16.58 | $17.04 | $18.44 | $21.89 | $18.14 | 30,680 | 3.17 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $32,240 | $34,480 | $35,450 | $38,360 | $45,520 | $37,740 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $10.36 | $11.69 | $14.40 | $16.74 | $17.84 | $14.40 | 19,570 | 3.23 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $21,550 | $24,310 | $29,950 | $34,820 | $37,110 | $29,950 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $16.42 | $17.41 | $22.08 | $26.96 | $30.09 | $22.54 | 800 | 10.87 | 3.54 |
| Annual | $34,150 | $36,210 | $45,930 | $56,080 | $62,590 | $46,880 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $19.19 | $19.58 | $21.14 | $21.94 | $23.83 | $21.56 | 3,940 | 3.47 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $39,910 | $40,720 | $43,960 | $45,630 | $49,570 | $44,840 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $17.35 | $18.08 | $20.55 | $21.95 | $23.75 | $20.56 | 7,910 | 3.79 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $36,090 | $37,600 | $42,750 | $45,650 | $49,400 | $42,770 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.26 | $19.05 | $20.24 | $21.29 | $23.41 | $20.69 | 9,530 | 4.01 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $37,980 | $39,620 | $42,100 | $44,270 | $48,690 | $43,040 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $18.19 | $18.41 | $19.20 | $21.17 | $22.75 | $20.22 | 590 | 7.52 | 2.45 |
| Annual | $37,820 | $38,290 | $39,930 | $44,030 | $47,320 | $42,060 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.06 | $17.50 | $18.07 | $18.83 | $22.06 | $18.86 | 27,520 | 4.39 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $35,480 | $36,400 | $37,580 | $39,170 | $45,890 | $39,240 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.24 | $16.81 | $17.15 | $19.13 | $22.08 | $18.47 | 25,580 | 2.70 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $33,780 | $34,970 | $35,670 | $39,800 | $45,920 | $38,410 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.65 | $13.93 | $15.14 | $17.05 | $18.08 | $15.77 | 12,240 | 4.34 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $28,390 | $28,970 | $31,480 | $35,460 | $37,610 | $32,810 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.07 | $16.75 | $17.71 | $18.62 | $21.19 | $18.01 | 11,910 | 2.64 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $31,350 | $34,840 | $36,850 | $38,720 | $44,070 | $37,460 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.58 | $17.79 | $18.62 | $20.93 | $17.99 | 11,690 | 3.73 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $34,490 | $37,010 | $38,730 | $43,540 | $37,430 | ||||
Top industries employing dishwashers
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 72.7% of dishwashers nationally (347,230 jobs) at a median $34,480 a year ($16.58 an hour), followed by Special Food Services (6.6%) and Traveler Accommodation (5.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 347,230 | 72.7% | $34,480 | $16.58 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 31,580 | 6.6% | $36,540 | $17.57 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 27,290 | 5.7% | $37,650 | $18.10 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 12,070 | 2.5% | $35,030 | $16.84 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | 11,280 | 2.4% | $35,240 | $16.94 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (477,450). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $28,130 for dishwashers in May 2021 and $34,810 in May 2025, with employment of 377,040 and 477,450.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $28,130 | $13.52 | 377,040 |
| May 2022 | $29,080 | $13.98 | 431,840 |
| May 2023 | $31,200 | $15.00 | 463,940 |
| May 2024 | $33,670 | $16.19 | 471,670 |
| May 2025 | $34,810 | $16.73 | 477,450 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $19.27 | $40,080 | $35,570 | $49,360 | 12,630 | 3.56 | 1.16 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $18.59 | $38,670 | $37,710 | $44,190 | 3,580 | 5.10 | 1.66 |
| 3 | California profile | $18.21 | $37,870 | $35,160 | $45,640 | 74,160 | 4.07 | 1.33 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $30,900 | $45,340 | 8,500 | 2.96 | 0.96 |
| 5 | Hawaii profile | $18.14 | $37,740 | $29,500 | $61,160 | 4,520 | 7.20 | 2.35 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $17.88 | $37,190 | $34,030 | $46,000 | 14,100 | 3.88 | 1.26 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | $17.39 | $36,180 | $31,200 | $42,270 | 16,250 | 2.66 | 0.87 |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $17.33 | $36,040 | $30,930 | $43,330 | 6,680 | 3.40 | 1.11 |
| 9 | Vermont profile | $17.31 | $36,010 | $29,650 | $39,770 | 1,280 | 4.23 | 1.38 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $17.26 | $35,900 | $32,220 | $42,860 | 7,450 | 1.74 | 0.57 |
| 11 | Delaware profile | $17.20 | $35,780 | $31,200 | $39,520 | 1,520 | 3.14 | 1.02 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $17.13 | $35,620 | $30,590 | $43,000 | 2,940 | 4.59 | 1.49 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $17.09 | $35,550 | $34,010 | $40,050 | 7,340 | 4.33 | 1.41 |
| 14 | New York profile | $17.04 | $35,450 | $32,240 | $45,520 | 30,680 | 3.17 | 1.03 |
| 15 | Arizona profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $31,470 | $39,430 | 10,120 | 3.12 | 1.02 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $16.81 | $34,960 | $27,290 | $43,580 | 2,370 | 3.46 | 1.13 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | $16.79 | $34,920 | $27,570 | $48,540 | 11,360 | 7.32 | 2.39 |
| 18 | Minnesota profile | $16.38 | $34,060 | $25,470 | $38,800 | 8,710 | 2.95 | 0.96 |
| 19 | Maryland profile | $16.36 | $34,030 | $31,200 | $38,040 | 9,310 | 3.37 | 1.10 |
| 20 | Rhode Island profile | $16.33 | $33,960 | $31,300 | $38,550 | 2,790 | 5.56 | 1.81 |
| 21 | Alaska profile | $16.29 | $33,890 | $27,040 | $36,440 | 1,300 | 4.00 | 1.30 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $15.93 | $33,130 | $27,300 | $40,450 | 12,520 | 3.05 | 0.99 |
| 23 | Missouri profile | $15.46 | $32,150 | $28,600 | $38,580 | 7,200 | 2.45 | 0.80 |
| 24 | Utah profile | $15.30 | $31,830 | $21,940 | $37,870 | 3,650 | 2.10 | 0.68 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $15.05 | $31,300 | $25,960 | $37,930 | 11,510 | 2.61 | 0.85 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $15.02 | $31,240 | $28,250 | $37,010 | 40,480 | 4.08 | 1.33 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $22,900 | $38,580 | 7,810 | 2.38 | 0.78 |
| 28 | New Mexico profile | $14.67 | $30,520 | $27,180 | $37,300 | 3,250 | 3.74 | 1.22 |
| 29 | North Carolina profile | $14.59 | $30,340 | $23,540 | $37,320 | 12,050 | 2.44 | 0.79 |
| 30 | Montana profile | $14.49 | $30,130 | $22,580 | $38,550 | 2,120 | 4.15 | 1.35 |
| 31 | North Dakota profile | $14.41 | $29,980 | $22,570 | $38,440 | 800 | 1.87 | 0.61 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania profile | $14.40 | $29,950 | $21,550 | $37,110 | 19,570 | 3.23 | 1.05 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $14.39 | $29,920 | $19,100 | $42,860 | 2,730 | 3.18 | 1.04 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | $14.30 | $29,740 | $28,080 | $37,120 | 2,170 | 2.12 | 0.69 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $14.29 | $29,730 | $21,220 | $36,590 | 11,300 | 2.31 | 0.75 |
| 36 | Texas profile | $14.23 | $29,610 | $21,920 | $36,720 | 33,630 | 2.39 | 0.78 |
| 37 | Wyoming profile | $14.23 | $29,600 | $22,660 | $39,120 | 1,060 | 3.77 | 1.23 |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $14.19 | $29,520 | $23,150 | $36,670 | 14,380 | 2.59 | 0.84 |
| 39 | Indiana profile | $14.17 | $29,480 | $21,840 | $36,660 | 7,000 | 2.19 | 0.71 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | $14.09 | $29,300 | $20,720 | $36,030 | 3,290 | 2.11 | 0.69 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $14.02 | $29,160 | $22,290 | $36,150 | 7,550 | 3.28 | 1.07 |
| 42 | Wisconsin profile | $13.98 | $29,070 | $20,190 | $37,830 | 8,190 | 2.78 | 0.91 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $13.97 | $29,060 | $21,330 | $36,240 | 4,890 | 2.44 | 0.80 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | $13.91 | $28,930 | $21,810 | $35,840 | 3,540 | 1.68 | 0.55 |
| 45 | South Dakota profile | $13.56 | $28,190 | $24,230 | $36,750 | 1,240 | 2.71 | 0.88 |
| 46 | Kansas profile | $13.49 | $28,060 | $20,150 | $38,580 | 2,480 | 1.73 | 0.56 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | $13.24 | $27,540 | $23,830 | $35,030 | 2,630 | 2.02 | 0.66 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $13.17 | $27,390 | $21,080 | $33,970 | 4,060 | 2.38 | 0.77 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | $12.72 | $26,460 | $20,450 | $32,760 | 1,640 | 2.34 | 0.76 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $12.71 | $26,440 | $19,820 | $33,280 | 4,210 | 2.18 | 0.71 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $12.64 | $26,300 | $19,240 | $30,190 | 2,880 | 2.48 | 0.81 |
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-9021 Dishwashers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-9021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-9021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.