Waiters and Waitresses Salary in North Carolina
Waiters and Waitresses in North Carolina have a median of $32,150 a year, below the national $35,230 (−9%); the state ranks 27th of 51 states by median. That is 33% less than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Among neighbouring states, Virginia pays more (up to $44,760 in Virginia) and Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina pay less (down to $18,370 in South Carolina). North Carolina employs 71,940 waiters and waitresses, 14.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.00 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $8.24 | $10.00 | $15.46 | $23.34 | $30.13 | $18.20 | 71,940 | 14.56 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $17,140 | $20,800 | $32,150 | $48,550 | $62,670 | $37,850 | ||||
| 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
- 27th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.00
- Jobs per 1,000
- 14.56
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina'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 North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $18.76 | $39,020 | $27,860 | $70,850 | 13,100 | 17.17 | 1.18 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $17.51 | $36,430 | $18,100 | $74,440 | 19,990 | 14.71 | 1.01 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $16.94 | $35,230 | $18,020 | $62,540 | 3,560 | 10.35 | 0.71 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $16.76 | $34,860 | $17,850 | $64,240 | 10,290 | 13.85 | 0.95 |
| Asheville, NC | $16.56 | $34,450 | $18,080 | $65,110 | 3,250 | 17.98 | 1.23 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $16.38 | $34,080 | $16,580 | $61,540 | 1,040 | 24.28 | 1.66 |
| Wilmington, NC | $14.72 | $30,610 | $17,530 | $59,310 | 4,920 | 25.70 | 1.76 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $14.45 | $30,060 | $16,380 | $59,570 | 5,210 | 14.25 | 0.98 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $14.21 | $29,550 | $16,770 | $58,510 | 3,940 | 14.48 | 0.99 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $14.19 | $29,520 | $16,590 | $57,580 | 1,980 | 15.10 | 1.03 |
| Burlington, NC | $14.10 | $29,330 | $16,610 | $58,930 | 1,100 | 16.24 | 1.11 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $14.09 | $29,310 | $16,170 | $57,830 | 2,000 | 13.00 | 0.89 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $13.88 | $28,870 | $15,480 | $57,360 | 1,140 | 21.76 | 1.49 |
| Greenville, NC | $13.79 | $28,680 | $16,150 | $57,360 | 1,310 | 16.18 | 1.11 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $13.72 | $28,530 | $15,970 | $56,270 | 640 | 15.88 | 1.09 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $12.93 | $26,900 | $15,080 | $57,560 | 580 | 10.62 | 0.73 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $14.02 | $29,160 | $16,650 | $57,870 | 5,180 | 20.46 | 1.40 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $13.79 | $28,690 | $15,970 | $57,680 | 2,260 | 9.51 | 0.65 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $13.56 | $28,200 | $16,410 | $57,810 | 5,350 | 20.25 | 1.39 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $15.46 | $32,150 | 71,940 | 1.00 |
| Georgia | $8.99 | $18,700 | 76,470 | 1.07 |
| South Carolina | $8.83 | $18,370 | 47,200 | 1.40 |
| Tennessee | $13.35 | $27,760 | 52,120 | 1.09 |
| Virginia | $21.52 | $44,760 | 59,370 | 0.99 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.