Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Philadelphia, PA (2024)
Waiters and Waitresses in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median of $35,900 per year ($17.26 per hour) based on 43,170 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +6.3% against the national median of $33,760 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where waiters and waitresses actually sit across the pay range in Philadelphia, PA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $10.48 | $21,800 | |
| 25th percentile | $13.47 | $28,010 | |
| Median | $17.26 | $35,900 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.89 | $47,620 | |
| 90th percentile | $30.57 | $63,580 | |
| Average (mean) | $19.57 | $40,710 |
How Philadelphia, PA compares
The local median of $35,900 runs +6.3% above the US median of $33,760 for this occupation; it pays 30.6% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,760); within the metro it ranks 658th of 710 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA — this occupation | $35,900 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $33,760 | +6.3% |
| Philadelphia, PA — all occupations | $51,760 | -30.6% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $48,760 | -26.4% |
The location quotient of 1.01 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 3.0%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 658th of 710 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia, PA
To put $35,900 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 658th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $236,740 | 600 |
| Pediatricians, General | $220,310 | 1,190 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $215,060 | 100 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $202,290 | 110 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $200,150 | 220 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $181,200 | 190 |
| Physicians, All Other | $179,220 | 8,290 |
| Dentists, General | $174,220 | 2,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $172,710 | 3,230 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $170,330 | 12,820 |
Where waiters and waitresses earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $20,270 to $48,760. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,760 | 25,860 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $45,010 | 135,820 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $38,440 | 45,170 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $37,650 | 39,140 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $37,360 | 30,450 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37,040 | 38,520 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $36,120 | 29,410 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $36,060 | 13,920 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $35,900 | 43,170 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $35,060 | 91,020 |
See the full national picture on the Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for waiters and waitresses in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $35,900, or $17 per hour. That means half of the waiters and waitresses working in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $40,710.
What do the highest and lowest paid waiters and waitresses in Philadelphia, PA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $21,800 or less, while the top 10% earn $63,580 or more — a spread of $41,780 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $28,010 and $47,620.
Is waiters and waitresses pay in Philadelphia, PA above the local average?
Yes, it is 30.6% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,760. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Philadelphia, PA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $35,900 the metro median is 6.3% higher than the US median of $33,760 for waiters and waitresses. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $20,270 to $48,760.
How many waiters and waitresses work in Philadelphia, PA?
BLS counts about 43,170 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 15.05 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.01 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.0%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.