Waiters and Waitresses Salary in California
The median for waiters and waitresses in California is $36,080 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+2%); the state ranks 22nd of 51 states by median. That is 38% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon and Arizona pay more (up to $48,410 in Oregon) and Nevada pays less (down to $26,410 in Nevada). California employs 229,970 waiters and waitresses, 12.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.86 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.78 | $17.35 | $19.17 | $33.15 | $21.44 | 229,970 | 12.63 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,900 | $36,080 | $39,870 | $68,950 | $44,600 | ||||
| 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
- 22nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 12.63
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California'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 California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $20.15 | $41,920 | $37,340 | $97,730 | 12,600 | 11.10 | 0.76 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $18.69 | $38,860 | $35,780 | $74,900 | 29,080 | 12.25 | 0.84 |
| Napa, CA | $17.85 | $37,130 | $34,700 | $64,710 | 1,930 | 24.74 | 1.69 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $17.71 | $36,830 | $35,350 | $64,930 | 3,670 | 17.88 | 1.22 |
| Vallejo, CA | $17.60 | $36,610 | $34,490 | $68,290 | 1,660 | 11.50 | 0.79 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $17.27 | $35,930 | $34,400 | $79,330 | 1,640 | 16.66 | 1.14 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $17.24 | $35,850 | $34,380 | $59,200 | 85,210 | 13.59 | 0.93 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $17.23 | $35,850 | $34,820 | $82,800 | 24,050 | 15.64 | 1.07 |
| Salinas, CA | $17.09 | $35,540 | $34,320 | $73,940 | 3,100 | 16.61 | 1.14 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $16.95 | $35,260 | $34,320 | $64,060 | 3,540 | 17.63 | 1.21 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $16.90 | $35,160 | $34,320 | $45,050 | 380 | 7.88 | 0.54 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $16.86 | $35,070 | $34,320 | $79,720 | 13,460 | 12.45 | 0.85 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $16.80 | $34,950 | $34,320 | $78,800 | 2,640 | 21.60 | 1.48 |
| Modesto, CA | $16.79 | $34,910 | $34,320 | $61,390 | 2,140 | 10.96 | 0.75 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $16.79 | $34,910 | $34,320 | $64,300 | 4,530 | 13.97 | 0.96 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $16.73 | $34,800 | $34,320 | $77,810 | 20,810 | 12.12 | 0.83 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $16.57 | $34,460 | $34,320 | $64,120 | 2,330 | 8.04 | 0.55 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $61,520 | 2,920 | 8.64 | 0.59 |
| Chico, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $47,560 | 990 | 12.71 | 0.87 |
| El Centro, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $47,960 | 480 | 7.31 | 0.50 |
| Fresno, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $65,680 | 4,340 | 9.10 | 0.62 |
| Merced, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $51,110 | 560 | 7.00 | 0.48 |
| Redding, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $58,430 | 680 | 9.56 | 0.65 |
| Visalia, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $58,230 | 1,410 | 8.22 | 0.56 |
| Yuba City, CA | $16.50 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $48,360 | 450 | 8.87 | 0.61 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $16.96 | $35,270 | $34,350 | $62,210 | 1,390 | 22.03 | 1.51 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $16.89 | $35,130 | $34,360 | $49,810 | 1,410 | 13.46 | 0.92 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $16.86 | $35,080 | $34,320 | $53,580 | 1,390 | 12.72 | 0.87 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the California 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 California 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.