Quick answer
Waiters and Waitresses in California earned a median of $36,080 a year ($17.35 an hour) in May 2025, 2% above the national median of $35,230; 229,970 were employed there, ranking #23 of 54 states and territories by median pay, per BLS OEWS.
Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025
| Measure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $36,080 | $35,230 |
| Mean annual wage | $44,600 | $40,060 |
| Median hourly wage | $17.35 | $16.94 |
| 10th percentile | $34,320 | $18,100 |
| 25th percentile | $34,900 | $27,750 |
| 75th percentile | $39,870 | $47,110 |
| 90th percentile | $68,950 | $64,720 |
| Employment | 229,970 | 2,270,910 |
| Jobs per 1,000 | 12.626 | — |
| Location quotient | 0.86 | 1.00 |
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Last updated 2026-10-16. Data only, not financial or tax advice.