Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Georgia
In Georgia, waiters and waitresses earn a median $18,700 a year, well below the national median of $35,230 (−47%); the state ranks 48th of 51 states by median. That is 61% less than the median across all occupations in Georgia ($48,170). Among neighbouring states, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama pay more (up to $36,150 in Florida) and South Carolina pays less (down to $18,370 in South Carolina). Georgia employs 76,470 waiters and waitresses, 15.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.07 is close to the national share.
Georgia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | $8.99 | $17.24 | $22.53 | $12.80 | 76,470 | 15.64 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $15,080 | $15,080 | $18,700 | $35,850 | $46,860 | $26,610 | ||||
| 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
- 48th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.07
- Jobs per 1,000
- 15.64
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Georgia'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 Georgia
15 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Georgia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $11.66 | $24,240 | $15,080 | $46,970 | 4,790 | 17.82 | 1.22 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $10.14 | $21,090 | $15,080 | $47,670 | 2,030 | 21.14 | 1.45 |
| Rome, GA | $10.09 | $20,980 | $15,080 | $43,670 | 740 | 16.56 | 1.13 |
| Savannah, GA | $10.02 | $20,830 | $15,080 | $53,470 | 4,940 | 24.90 | 1.70 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $10.00 | $20,800 | $15,080 | $43,160 | 2,080 | 17.85 | 1.22 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $9.17 | $19,070 | $15,080 | $47,540 | 1,350 | 17.71 | 1.21 |
| Valdosta, GA | $8.90 | $18,510 | $15,080 | $39,700 | 1,150 | 21.41 | 1.47 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $8.88 | $18,460 | $15,080 | $46,800 | 45,880 | 15.88 | 1.09 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $8.84 | $18,390 | $15,080 | $47,390 | 3,820 | 16.48 | 1.13 |
| Albany, GA | $8.81 | $18,330 | $15,080 | $46,180 | 900 | 15.50 | 1.06 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $8.77 | $18,250 | $15,080 | $46,190 | 1,510 | 32.29 | 2.21 |
| Gainesville, GA | $8.64 | $17,980 | $15,080 | $46,000 | 1,390 | 13.39 | 0.92 |
| Dalton, GA | $8.62 | $17,930 | $15,080 | $45,730 | 680 | 10.46 | 0.72 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $8.57 | $17,830 | $15,080 | $44,990 | 1,660 | 17.45 | 1.19 |
| Hinesville, GA | $8.48 | $17,640 | $15,080 | $46,040 | 280 | 13.92 | 0.95 |
| South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $10.21 | $21,230 | $15,080 | $42,450 | 2,400 | 12.46 | 0.85 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $9.11 | $18,950 | $15,080 | $48,750 | 3,050 | 16.26 | 1.11 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $8.72 | $18,150 | $15,080 | $44,670 | 1,650 | 11.89 | 0.81 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $8.60 | $17,880 | $15,080 | $43,430 | 1,330 | 15.01 | 1.03 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $8.99 | $18,700 | 76,470 | 1.07 |
| Alabama | $12.91 | $26,840 | 28,760 | 0.93 |
| Florida | $17.38 | $36,150 | 207,180 | 1.43 |
| North Carolina | $15.46 | $32,150 | 71,940 | 1.00 |
| South Carolina | $8.83 | $18,370 | 47,200 | 1.40 |
| Tennessee | $13.35 | $27,760 | 52,120 | 1.09 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Georgia 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 Georgia 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.