Waiters and Waitresses Salary in New Jersey
Waiters and Waitresses in New Jersey earn a median $44,960 a year, +28% against the national median of $35,230; they and rank 7th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in New Jersey ($58,570). Among neighbouring states, New York pays more (up to $47,020 in New York) and Delaware and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $34,690 in Pennsylvania). New Jersey employs 55,800 waiters and waitresses, 13.0 per 1,000 jobs, the 13th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.89 is close to the national share.
New Jersey vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.49 | $17.17 | $21.62 | $27.12 | $37.75 | $24.16 | 55,800 | 13.02 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $35,710 | $44,960 | $56,410 | $78,510 | $50,260 | ||||
| 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
- 7th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 13th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.89
- Jobs per 1,000
- 13.02
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New Jersey'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 New Jersey
6 metropolitan areas touching New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $22.89 | $47,610 | $33,810 | $95,610 | 138,720 | 14.61 | 1.00 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $18.35 | $38,160 | $32,220 | $74,900 | 6,070 | 36.00 | 2.46 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $18.30 | $38,070 | $32,220 | $72,180 | 2,160 | 8.99 | 0.62 |
| Vineland, NJ | $17.69 | $36,800 | $32,220 | $64,250 | 540 | 8.65 | 0.59 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $17.58 | $36,570 | $21,900 | $65,340 | 41,900 | 14.46 | 0.99 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $16.65 | $34,630 | $18,100 | $63,720 | 5,310 | 14.09 | 0.96 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $21.62 | $44,960 | 55,800 | 0.89 |
| Delaware | $17.73 | $36,880 | 7,580 | 1.07 |
| New York | $22.61 | $47,020 | 142,940 | 1.01 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.68 | $34,690 | 82,300 | 0.93 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.