Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Iowa
In Iowa, waiters and waitresses earn a median $21,000 a year, well below the national median of $35,230 (−40%); the state ranks 47th of 51 states by median. That is 57% less than the median across all occupations in Iowa ($48,540). Every neighbouring state pays more: Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, South Dakota and Minnesota range from $25,470 in Minnesota to $33,770 in Nebraska. Iowa employs 22,410 waiters and waitresses, 14.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 30th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.98 is close to the national share.
Iowa vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | $10.10 | $17.00 | $23.07 | $12.95 | 22,410 | 14.37 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $15,080 | $15,080 | $21,000 | $35,370 | $47,980 | $26,940 | ||||
| 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
- 47th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 30th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- Jobs per 1,000
- 14.37
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Iowa'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 Iowa
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | $16.48 | $34,290 | $28,080 | $59,870 | 7,620 | 15.29 | 1.05 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $15,080 | $47,190 | 2,680 | 14.86 | 1.02 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $12.71 | $26,430 | $15,080 | $49,790 | 1,030 | 13.77 | 0.94 |
| Ames, IA | $10.92 | $22,710 | $15,080 | $50,610 | 1,010 | 18.12 | 1.24 |
| Iowa City, IA | $10.59 | $22,030 | $15,080 | $48,620 | 1,890 | 20.15 | 1.38 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $10.42 | $21,670 | $15,080 | $48,720 | 1,920 | 13.78 | 0.94 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $10.33 | $21,490 | $15,080 | $48,840 | 1,280 | 15.17 | 1.04 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $9.81 | $20,410 | $15,080 | $48,760 | 6,250 | 15.47 | 1.06 |
| Dubuque, IA | $9.65 | $20,060 | $15,080 | $47,300 | 810 | 13.82 | 0.95 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $10.09 | $20,990 | $15,080 | $44,770 | 1,270 | 12.78 | 0.88 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $10.09 | $20,980 | $15,080 | $44,720 | 690 | 9.47 | 0.65 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $10.07 | $20,950 | $15,080 | $44,410 | 2,200 | 11.00 | 0.75 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $9.84 | $20,470 | $15,080 | $46,960 | 1,570 | 10.78 | 0.74 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Iowa 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 Iowa 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.