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Salary data · Bespree
Waiter and Waitress Salary in Houston
Waiters and Waitresses in the Houston area earn a median of $10.61/hr — based on BLS OEWS May 2025.
At median pay, that's roughly $22,069/year, $424/week, or $1,838/month (40-hour week, before taxes).
Adjusted for local prices, the median $10.61/hr wage is about $10.76/hr in national-average purchasing power, and HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 124.7 hours of work, or 72% of gross monthly pay.
About waiters and waitresses
Job duties, work environment, and education based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What waiters and waitresses do
Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments. They greet customers, explain menu items, make recommendations, take food and drink orders, deliver orders from the kitchen, and ensure customer satisfaction. They also process payments, set and clear tables, and may assist with opening or closing duties.
Work environment
Servers work in restaurants, bars, hotels, and other food service establishments. The work is fast-paced and requires constant standing and walking. Servers often carry heavy trays and must navigate crowded spaces. Work schedules vary widely and frequently include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Part-time work is common. Tips typically form a significant portion of total earnings.
How to become one
No formal education is typically required for entry-level server positions. Most waiters and waitresses learn through short-term on-the-job training. Some states require servers who handle alcohol to complete responsible service training or certification. Experience in customer service is helpful for advancement to supervisory positions.
Similar occupations
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — bls.gov/ooh. BLS content is in the public domain.
Hourly wage ranges
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th) | $8.41 | $17,493 |
| 25th percentile | $8.59 | $17,867 |
| Median (50th) | $10.61 | $22,069 |
| 75th percentile | $17.97 | $37,378 |
| Top earners (90th) | $22.74 | $47,299 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Annual estimate = hourly × 2,080 hrs · Actual annual income varies by hours worked and schedule.
Waiters and Waitresses — Hourly Pay Distribution
Percentile range from entry-level to top earners
How Houston compares
Waiters and Waitresses pay by metro
| Metro | Median/hr |
|---|---|
| Houston | $10.61 |
| New York City | $22.89 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford | $18.67 |
| Trenton-Princeton | $18.30 |
| New Haven | $18.22 |
| Philadelphia | $17.58 |
| Miami | $17.34 |
| Los Angeles | $17.24 |
| Chicago | $15.00 |
Waiters and Waitresses — Median Hourly Pay by Metro
Sorted by median pay, highest to lowest
What pay means locally
A broad purchasing-power view using BEA regional price data.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare broad local price levels with the U.S. average. They help explain how far a median hourly wage may go in Houston.
| BLS median wage | $10.61/hr |
|---|---|
| BEA all-items RPP | 98.6 |
| Local price level | 1.4% lower than the U.S. average |
| Cost-adjusted median | $10.76/hr |
HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark
HUD Fair Market Rent is a 40th-percentile gross rent benchmark by bedroom size, not average rent. The one-bedroom value is the default comparison for hourly worker affordability.
| Bedroom size | HUD FMR | Hours at median |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,280/mo | 120.6 hours |
| 1 bedroom | $1,323/mo | 124.7 hours |
| 2 bedroom | $1,573/mo | 148.3 hours |
At the local BLS median wage, HUD's one-bedroom FMR equals about 124.7 hours of work, or roughly 72% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
Methodology: cost-adjusted median = BLS median hourly wage ÷ (BEA all-items RPP ÷ 100). An RPP above 100 means local prices are higher than the U.S. average.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis MARPP 2024, line 1 (RPPs: All items); BEA area 26420: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (Metropolitan Statistical Area).
HUD rent source: FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents, 40th percentile gross rent. HUD area: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HMFA. Close label match to the tracked salary metro.
This is broad metro-level context, not a personal budget, tax, or take-home-pay estimate.
Compare affordability for restaurant server
Compare the same role across metros using cost-adjusted pay and rent context.
Where restaurant server pay goes furthest
- New York City
$20.34/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $22.89/hr
- Trenton-Princeton
$17.74/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $18.30/hr
- Bridgeport-Stamford
$17.47/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $18.67/hr
- New Haven
$17.43/hr cost-adjusted median
BLS median: $18.22/hr
Affordability questions
- What is the cost-adjusted wage for restaurant server in Houston?
- The BLS median wage is $10.61/hr. After adjusting by the BEA all-items RPP of 98.6, that is about $10.76/hr in national-average purchasing power.
- How many hours does one-bedroom Fair Market Rent take at the median wage?
- HUD's one-bedroom FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HMFA is $1,323/mo. At $10.61/hr, that equals about 124.7 hours of work, or 72% of gross monthly pay before taxes.
- Is this a personal budget estimate?
- No. These are broad metro-level comparisons from public datasets. They do not include taxes, benefits, household size, commuting choices, or actual housing costs.
Job outlook for Waiters and Waitresses
National employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
🔵 Little or no change
+1.7% projected growth, 2024–2034
+39,300
2024–2034
~426,900
New + replacement
2,258,900
2024 estimate
No formal credential
Entry-level
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Published August 2025. National-level projections — local growth may differ.
Skills & qualifications
Key skills and knowledge areas from O*NET OnLine, plus representative tools compiled by Bespree for waiters and waitresses.
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Food Production
- Sales and Marketing
- Mathematics
- Point-of-sale terminals
- Serving trays
- Wine openers
- Order management tablets
- Coffee machines
Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree.
Commute-adjusted effective wage
What you actually earn after subtracting the cost of getting to work.
Effective hourly wage after estimated commute costs, based on a 40-hr work week.
| Commute mode | Monthly cost | Hourly impact | Effective wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| No commute cost (baseline) | — | — | $10.61 |
| Public transit (regional estimate) | ~$120/mo | −$0.69/hr | $9.92/hr |
| Driving (gas + wear) | ~$280/mo | −$1.62/hr | $8.99/hr |
Methodology: Commute cost is deducted from median hourly wage assuming 2,080 working hours per year (52 weeks × 40 hrs). Costs are directional estimates based on published transit fares or AAA average variable driving costs. Actual costs vary by distance, schedule, vehicle, and commute days.
Public transit (regional estimate): Estimated regional monthly transit cost.
Driving (gas + wear): AAA avg variable cost estimate.
Local job market
—
No current paid openings on Bespree
No exact matches right now — new openings are added regularly.
Browse all jobs on Bespree →BLS estimates 51,330 waiters and waitresses employed in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX area, or 4.9 per 1,000 jobs. (BLS OEWS May 2025)
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Data source: Wage data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, BLS OEWS May 2025. Regional price context uses U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP 2024, all-items RPP). Rent context uses HUD Fair Market Rents (FY 2026, 40th percentile gross rent). Job outlook data is from the BLS Employment Projections program (BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034). BLS data is in the public domain. Occupation profile content summarized from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Skills and knowledge data from O*NET OnLine, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Bespree has selected and summarized a subset of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Tools & technology listed are representative examples compiled by Bespree. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after retrieval. Wage figures are estimates and do not constitute a guarantee of earnings. Actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, and hours worked. Weekly and monthly earnings shown assume a 40-hour work week and are pre-tax estimates. Commute cost figures and regional price adjustments are directional estimates; actual commute costs, purchasing power, and budgets vary.