Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Washington
Waiters and Waitresses in Washington earn a median $56,130 a year, +59% against the national median of $35,230; they and rank 3rd of 51 states by median. That is 11% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $30,050 in Idaho to $48,410 in Oregon. Washington employs 45,400 waiters and waitresses, 12.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 17th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.88 is close to the national share.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.65 | $22.07 | $26.98 | $35.50 | $45.64 | $29.13 | 45,400 | 12.79 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $36,710 | $45,910 | $56,130 | $73,840 | $94,930 | $60,590 | ||||
| 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
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 17th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 12.79
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $27.54 | $57,280 | $36,730 | $95,940 | 26,530 | 12.72 | 0.87 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $27.27 | $56,730 | $38,590 | $79,340 | 340 | 13.16 | 0.90 |
| Bellingham, WA | $27.26 | $56,700 | $36,670 | $89,830 | 1,450 | 15.91 | 1.09 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $26.57 | $55,270 | $38,410 | $96,620 | 1,370 | 14.64 | 1.00 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $26.38 | $54,870 | $37,510 | $81,030 | 410 | 9.90 | 0.68 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $26.34 | $54,780 | $33,980 | $81,630 | 13,910 | 11.51 | 0.79 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $25.51 | $53,060 | $37,910 | $81,410 | 830 | 15.84 | 1.08 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $25.48 | $53,000 | $36,330 | $92,670 | 1,410 | 10.86 | 0.74 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $24.74 | $51,460 | $35,340 | $89,410 | 1,510 | 11.70 | 0.80 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $23.95 | $49,820 | $37,570 | $93,210 | 960 | 18.71 | 1.28 |
| Yakima, WA | $23.59 | $49,060 | $34,740 | $78,410 | 1,000 | 10.32 | 0.71 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $23.35 | $48,560 | $35,930 | $81,500 | 3,420 | 13.36 | 0.91 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $17.43 | $36,240 | $17,670 | $73,070 | 310 | 10.83 | 0.74 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $24.26 | $50,460 | $35,470 | $79,230 | 1,350 | 12.42 | 0.85 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $23.12 | $48,090 | $36,510 | $78,780 | 2,220 | 17.11 | 1.17 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington 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.