Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Illinois
Waiters and Waitresses in Illinois have a median of $31,200 a year, below the national $35,230 (−11%); the state ranks 28th of 51 states by median. That is 40% less than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa range from $21,000 in Iowa to $29,670 in Wisconsin. Illinois employs 72,900 waiters and waitresses, 12.0 per 1,000 jobs, the 8th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.82 is close to the national share.
Illinois vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.73 | $23.78 | $17.12 | 72,900 | 11.96 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $32,720 | $49,470 | $35,610 | ||||
| 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
- 28th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 8th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.82
- Jobs per 1,000
- 11.96
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Illinois'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 Illinois
12 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,870 | 1,370 | 15.54 | 1.06 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $44,760 | 1,500 | 14.23 | 0.97 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $50,410 | 54,100 | 11.99 | 0.82 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $15,080 | $47,190 | 2,680 | 14.86 | 1.02 |
| Decatur, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $48,490 | 530 | 11.71 | 0.80 |
| Kankakee, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,910 | 550 | 12.94 | 0.89 |
| Peoria, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,310 | 2,340 | 14.09 | 0.97 |
| Rockford, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,540 | 1,710 | 12.45 | 0.85 |
| Springfield, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $45,680 | 1,600 | 15.91 | 1.09 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $28,600 | $62,520 | 20,170 | 15.04 | 1.03 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $14.08 | $29,280 | $15,970 | $57,810 | 1,010 | 20.01 | 1.37 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $13.81 | $28,710 | $28,600 | $60,520 | 820 | 18.38 | 1.26 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $48,060 | 1,860 | 12.97 | 0.89 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $44,290 | 1,800 | 14.21 | 0.97 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $45,870 | 1,670 | 11.82 | 0.81 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $60,280 | 2,070 | 12.23 | 0.84 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Illinois 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 Illinois 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.