Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Florida
The median for waiters and waitresses in Florida is $36,150 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+3%); the state ranks 20th of 51 states by median. That is 24% less than the median across all occupations in Florida ($47,880). Florida pays more than every neighbouring state: Alabama and Georgia range from $18,700 in Georgia to $26,840 in Alabama. Florida employs 207,180 waiters and waitresses, 20.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.43 means the occupation is more concentrated in Florida than nationally.
Florida vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.09 | $13.73 | $17.38 | $22.88 | $30.57 | $20.12 | 207,180 | 20.86 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $27,230 | $28,550 | $36,150 | $47,590 | $63,580 | $41,840 | ||||
| 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
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.43
- Jobs per 1,000
- 20.86
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Florida'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 Florida
22 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Florida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $18.05 | $37,550 | $29,180 | $70,460 | 6,610 | 38.02 | 2.60 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $17.96 | $37,370 | $28,120 | $63,350 | 4,430 | 35.44 | 2.43 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $17.82 | $37,070 | $27,310 | $72,180 | 25,280 | 17.47 | 1.20 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $17.63 | $36,670 | $27,610 | $62,170 | 5,080 | 20.71 | 1.42 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $17.63 | $36,660 | $28,320 | $64,210 | 7,980 | 26.19 | 1.79 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $17.63 | $36,660 | $28,370 | $64,080 | 9,200 | 27.07 | 1.85 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $17.61 | $36,630 | $27,740 | $64,190 | 13,140 | 17.16 | 1.18 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $17.48 | $36,360 | $27,180 | $64,050 | 1,780 | 30.95 | 2.12 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $17.47 | $36,340 | $27,450 | $66,970 | 1,170 | 28.27 | 1.94 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $17.43 | $36,250 | $27,760 | $61,900 | 4,050 | 23.73 | 1.62 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $17.34 | $36,070 | $27,260 | $63,680 | 57,830 | 20.51 | 1.40 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $17.34 | $36,060 | $27,400 | $61,150 | 1,560 | 27.11 | 1.86 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $17.04 | $35,440 | $27,310 | $61,370 | 5,920 | 26.94 | 1.84 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | $17.03 | $35,410 | $27,040 | $59,320 | 1,020 | 28.80 | 1.97 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $17.03 | $35,410 | $27,040 | $63,680 | 36,820 | 26.08 | 1.79 |
| Gainesville, FL | $17.02 | $35,400 | $27,090 | $60,390 | 2,540 | 16.61 | 1.14 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $16.99 | $35,340 | $27,040 | $59,820 | 4,260 | 22.38 | 1.53 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $16.96 | $35,270 | $27,050 | $60,030 | 3,730 | 14.04 | 0.96 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $16.82 | $34,990 | $27,040 | $60,520 | 2,520 | 27.76 | 1.90 |
| Sebring, FL | $16.81 | $34,960 | $27,040 | $59,760 | 560 | 19.98 | 1.37 |
| Ocala, FL | $16.78 | $34,890 | $27,040 | $60,360 | 2,110 | 17.46 | 1.20 |
| Tallahassee, FL | $16.76 | $34,850 | $27,040 | $58,240 | 2,600 | 13.97 | 0.96 |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $17.81 | $37,050 | $28,280 | $60,490 | 1,790 | 15.85 | 1.09 |
| South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $17.74 | $36,900 | $27,040 | $65,670 | 3,540 | 40.39 | 2.77 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Florida 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 Florida 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.