Waiters and Waitresses Salary in West Virginia
At $35,380 a year, the median for waiters and waitresses in West Virginia is close to the national median of $35,230 (0%); West Virginia ranks 24th of 51 states by median. That is 22% less than the median across all occupations in West Virginia ($45,300). Among neighbouring states, Virginia, Maryland and Ohio pay more (up to $44,760 in Virginia) and Pennsylvania and Kentucky pay less (down to $29,660 in Kentucky). West Virginia employs 8,600 waiters and waitresses, 12.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 44th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.84 is close to the national share.
West Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $9.73 | $10.96 | $17.01 | $22.80 | $29.11 | $18.44 | 8,600 | 12.26 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $20,230 | $22,800 | $35,380 | $47,430 | $60,560 | $38,350 | ||||
| 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
- 24th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 44th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 12.26
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of West Virginia'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 West Virginia
10 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching West Virginia 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 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $18.12 | $37,680 | $27,100 | $61,330 | 990 | 14.66 | 1.00 |
| Charleston, WV | $17.74 | $36,900 | $20,270 | $58,540 | 1,190 | 11.54 | 0.79 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $17.23 | $35,840 | $22,260 | $60,860 | 500 | 13.80 | 0.94 |
| Morgantown, WV | $17.06 | $35,480 | $19,540 | $61,720 | 1,040 | 15.49 | 1.06 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $16.97 | $35,290 | $18,870 | $60,280 | 610 | 16.84 | 1.15 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $16.57 | $34,470 | $26,050 | $62,730 | 1,320 | 12.29 | 0.84 |
| Beckley, WV | $16.18 | $33,650 | $18,540 | $58,970 | 650 | 15.14 | 1.04 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $14.78 | $30,740 | $20,890 | $59,480 | 880 | 15.21 | 1.04 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $14.75 | $30,690 | $18,200 | $59,010 | 1,720 | 12.23 | 0.84 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $16.94 | $35,230 | $20,120 | $59,190 | 1,390 | 9.54 | 0.65 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.51 | $30,170 | $18,710 | $58,340 | 910 | 11.99 | 0.82 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $17.01 | $35,380 | 8,600 | 0.84 |
| Kentucky | $14.26 | $29,660 | 27,150 | 0.93 |
| Maryland | $17.67 | $36,750 | 38,120 | 0.94 |
| Ohio | $17.65 | $36,700 | 77,250 | 0.95 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.68 | $34,690 | 82,300 | 0.93 |
| Virginia | $21.52 | $44,760 | 59,370 | 0.99 |
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (every state ranked) and the West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.