Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Maryland
The median for waiters and waitresses in Maryland is $36,750 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+4%); the state ranks 18th of 51 states by median. That is 38% less than the median across all occupations in Maryland ($59,510). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia, Virginia and Delaware pay more (up to $47,850 in District of Columbia) and West Virginia and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $34,690 in Pennsylvania). Maryland employs 38,120 waiters and waitresses, 13.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 22nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.94 is close to the national share.
Maryland vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.78 | $17.67 | $22.94 | $29.91 | $21.13 | 38,120 | 13.80 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $32,820 | $36,750 | $47,720 | $62,210 | $43,950 | ||||
| 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
- 18th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 22nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.94
- Jobs per 1,000
- 13.80
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maryland'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 Maryland
6 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $22.14 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | 46,160 | 14.72 | 1.01 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $17.58 | $36,570 | $21,900 | $65,340 | 41,900 | 14.46 | 0.99 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $17.39 | $36,170 | $31,200 | $60,650 | 19,590 | 14.44 | 0.99 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $17.09 | $35,550 | $31,200 | $60,620 | 1,020 | 14.51 | 0.99 |
| Salisbury, MD | $16.86 | $35,080 | $31,200 | $61,090 | 690 | 12.83 | 0.88 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $16.57 | $34,470 | $26,050 | $62,730 | 1,320 | 12.29 | 0.84 |
| Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $17.12 | $35,620 | $31,200 | $60,820 | 2,700 | 23.82 | 1.63 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $17.67 | $36,750 | 38,120 | 0.94 |
| District of Columbia | $23.01 | $47,850 | 11,530 | 1.12 |
| Delaware | $17.73 | $36,880 | 7,580 | 1.07 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.68 | $34,690 | 82,300 | 0.93 |
| Virginia | $21.52 | $44,760 | 59,370 | 0.99 |
| West Virginia | $17.01 | $35,380 | 8,600 | 0.84 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Maryland 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 Maryland 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.