Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Arizona
Waiters and Waitresses in Arizona earn a median $43,950 a year, +25% against the national median of $35,230; they and rank 10th of 51 states by median. That is 12% less than the median across all occupations in Arizona ($50,060). Among neighbouring states, Colorado pays more (up to $44,860 in Colorado) and New Mexico, California, Utah and Nevada pay less (down to $26,410 in Nevada). Arizona employs 55,950 waiters and waitresses, 17.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 12th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.18 is close to the national share.
Arizona vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $14.70 | $16.27 | $21.13 | $30.30 | $37.94 | $24.60 | 55,950 | 17.27 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $30,580 | $33,850 | $43,950 | $63,020 | $78,920 | $51,170 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $8.70 | $13.34 | $16.94 | $22.65 | $31.12 | $19.26 | 2,270,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $18,100 | $27,750 | $35,230 | $47,110 | $64,720 | $40,060 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 10th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 12th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.18
- Jobs per 1,000
- 17.27
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Arizona's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Arizona
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Arizona publish a row for waiters and waitresses, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $22.85 | $47,530 | $30,850 | $79,780 | 39,920 | 16.80 | 1.15 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $17.83 | $37,080 | $30,730 | $77,760 | 2,210 | 33.14 | 2.27 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $17.63 | $36,670 | $30,580 | $78,290 | 1,840 | 25.40 | 1.74 |
| Tucson, AZ | $17.54 | $36,490 | $30,580 | $73,520 | 7,300 | 18.73 | 1.28 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $17.49 | $36,370 | $30,580 | $74,250 | 1,190 | 21.13 | 1.45 |
| Yuma, AZ | $17.37 | $36,120 | $30,580 | $73,590 | 1,000 | 14.47 | 0.99 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $16.35 | $34,020 | $30,580 | $63,310 | 600 | 17.68 | 1.21 |
| Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $16.95 | $35,260 | $30,580 | $73,110 | 1,550 | 15.89 | 1.09 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $21.13 | $43,950 | 55,950 | 1.18 |
| California | $17.35 | $36,080 | 229,970 | 0.86 |
| Colorado | $21.57 | $44,860 | 40,680 | 0.97 |
| New Mexico | $17.75 | $36,920 | 12,740 | 1.00 |
| Nevada | $12.70 | $26,410 | 42,520 | 1.88 |
| Utah | $14.98 | $31,150 | 17,790 | 0.70 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Arizona wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Arizona estimates.
- 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.