Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Michigan
The median for waiters and waitresses in Michigan is $37,760 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+7%); the state ranks 15th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in Michigan ($49,270). Michigan pays more than every neighbouring state: Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana range from $28,480 in Indiana to $36,700 in Ohio. Michigan employs 65,090 waiters and waitresses, 14.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 10th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.01 is close to the national share.
Michigan vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $12.48 | $14.11 | $18.16 | $28.15 | $30.94 | $21.59 | 65,090 | 14.78 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $25,960 | $29,350 | $37,760 | $58,550 | $64,350 | $44,910 | ||||
| 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
- 15th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 10th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.01
- Jobs per 1,000
- 14.78
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Michigan'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 Michigan
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $21.59 | $44,920 | $25,960 | $62,080 | 930 | 14.90 | 1.02 |
| Flint, MI | $21.17 | $44,030 | $26,190 | $63,200 | 2,120 | 15.68 | 1.07 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $20.64 | $42,930 | $27,140 | $73,590 | 8,080 | 13.50 | 0.92 |
| Traverse City, MI | $19.89 | $41,380 | $26,820 | $64,020 | 1,610 | 23.53 | 1.61 |
| Bay City, MI | $19.47 | $40,500 | $25,960 | $62,220 | 570 | 16.83 | 1.15 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $19.34 | $40,230 | $27,420 | $71,790 | 2,710 | 12.34 | 0.84 |
| Jackson, MI | $19.19 | $39,920 | $25,960 | $63,840 | 810 | 14.53 | 1.00 |
| Saginaw, MI | $18.96 | $39,430 | $25,960 | $62,860 | 1,470 | 18.41 | 1.26 |
| Monroe, MI | $18.64 | $38,780 | $25,960 | $62,470 | 660 | 16.25 | 1.11 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $18.37 | $38,210 | $26,870 | $64,040 | 2,710 | 12.47 | 0.85 |
| Niles, MI | $18.33 | $38,130 | $27,040 | $62,330 | 1,390 | 23.20 | 1.59 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $18.15 | $37,760 | $25,960 | $63,680 | 1,740 | 14.32 | 0.98 |
| Midland, MI | $18.15 | $37,750 | $25,960 | $64,200 | 430 | 11.42 | 0.78 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $18.02 | $37,490 | $25,960 | $64,210 | 29,210 | 15.34 | 1.05 |
| Battle Creek, MI | $17.49 | $36,370 | $26,960 | $62,350 | 750 | 13.65 | 0.93 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $13.82 | $28,740 | $17,480 | $49,190 | 1,970 | 14.93 | 1.02 |
| Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $18.66 | $38,820 | $25,960 | $62,300 | 2,610 | 22.24 | 1.52 |
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $18.13 | $37,710 | $25,960 | $62,310 | 2,000 | 17.83 | 1.22 |
| Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.81 | $37,050 | $25,960 | $61,830 | 1,960 | 14.53 | 0.99 |
| Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.71 | $36,840 | $25,960 | $60,920 | 2,500 | 16.42 | 1.12 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Michigan 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 Michigan 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.