Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Delaware
The median for waiters and waitresses in Delaware is $36,880 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+5%); the state ranks 17th of 51 states by median. That is 29% less than the median across all occupations in Delaware ($52,190). Among neighbouring states, New Jersey pays more (up to $44,960 in New Jersey) and Maryland and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $34,690 in Pennsylvania). Delaware employs 7,580 waiters and waitresses, 15.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 45th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.07 is close to the national share.
Delaware vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $17.73 | $22.31 | $29.81 | $20.71 | 7,580 | 15.63 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $36,880 | $46,400 | $62,000 | $43,070 | ||||
| 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
- 17th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 45th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.07
- Jobs per 1,000
- 15.63
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Delaware'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 Delaware
2 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Delaware 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $17.58 | $36,570 | $21,900 | $65,340 | 41,900 | 14.46 | 0.99 |
| Dover, DE | $17.32 | $36,030 | $31,200 | $58,740 | 970 | 14.25 | 0.98 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $17.73 | $36,870 | $31,200 | $60,340 | 2,890 | 29.63 | 2.03 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $17.73 | $36,880 | 7,580 | 1.07 |
| Maryland | $17.67 | $36,750 | 38,120 | 0.94 |
| New Jersey | $21.62 | $44,960 | 55,800 | 0.89 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.68 | $34,690 | 82,300 | 0.93 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Delaware 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 Delaware 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.