Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in the U.S.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the U.S. earn a median of $31,200 a year ($15.00 an hour), based on BLS data for 432,690 workers.
Pay ranges from $22,340 for the lowest-paid 10% to $43,990 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $32,690, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $22,340 | $10.74 |
| 25th percentile | $27,570 | $13.25 |
| Median | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| 75th percentile | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $43,990 | $21.15 |
| Average (mean) | $32,690 | $15.72 |
Half of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $2,600 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,300 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,200 |
| Weekly | $600 |
| Hourly | $15.00 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47,070 | 2,650 |
| Oregon | $40,720 | 5,740 |
| District of Columbia | $37,570 | 2,450 |
| Washington | $37,270 | 9,530 |
| Maine | $36,800 | 1,460 |
| California | $36,640 | 41,100 |
| New York | $36,490 | 18,640 |
| Colorado | $36,340 | 9,490 |
| Massachusetts | $34,960 | 13,540 |
| Maryland | $34,860 | 7,390 |
| Arizona | $34,740 | 10,710 |
| Connecticut | $34,210 | 3,670 |
| New Jersey | $34,050 | 9,420 |
| New Hampshire | $33,920 | 2,130 |
| Virgin Islands | $33,540 | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $31,400 | n/a |
| Delaware | $31,200 | 1,680 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | 16,500 |
| Nevada | $31,170 | 6,570 |
| Vermont | $31,080 | 1,060 |
| Virginia | $30,490 | 10,890 |
| South Dakota | $30,310 | 630 |
| Alaska | $30,210 | 740 |
| Minnesota | $30,200 | 7,150 |
| Florida | $29,810 | 37,100 |
| Utah | $29,610 | 4,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,170 | 18,020 |
| Missouri | $29,130 | 8,510 |
| Michigan | $28,950 | 12,620 |
| Montana | $28,910 | 1,260 |
| North Dakota | $28,660 | 800 |
| New Mexico | $28,480 | 2,670 |
| Nebraska | $28,450 | 2,830 |
| North Carolina | $28,320 | 15,160 |
| Iowa | $28,210 | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $28,110 | 4,540 |
| Wisconsin | $28,060 | 6,430 |
| Georgia | $27,850 | 17,300 |
| Ohio | $27,550 | 15,480 |
| Tennessee | $27,490 | 11,280 |
| Idaho | $27,280 | 2,360 |
| Kentucky | $27,100 | 5,120 |
| Texas | $27,080 | 35,550 |
| South Carolina | $27,000 | 7,990 |
| Indiana | $26,920 | 9,730 |
| Arkansas | $26,760 | 3,110 |
| Alabama | $26,130 | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $24,740 | 5,060 |
| West Virginia | $24,420 | 1,580 |
| Wyoming | $22,660 | 660 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,480 | 1,270 |
| Louisiana | $22,060 | 6,440 |
| Mississippi | $21,990 | 2,660 |
| Guam | $20,450 | 250 |
Best-paying metro areas for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,110 | 1,740 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $45,240 | 490 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $43,410 | 3,390 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $42,400 | 1,860 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $40,890 | 100 |
| Bend, OR | $40,090 | 480 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,810 | 4,090 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,430 | 6,010 |
| Boulder, CO | $38,220 | 580 |
| Napa, CA | $38,200 | 490 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $38,120 | 460 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $37,890 | 300 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $37,720 | 650 |
| Vallejo, CA | $37,520 | 280 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $37,100 | 830 |
Metro areas with the most hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 18,530 | $36,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 15,340 | $36,920 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 13,390 | $31,720 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 11,940 | $28,560 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 10,580 | $35,140 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 10,440 | $32,280 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,140 | $28,890 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 9,270 | $36,360 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 8,990 | $26,730 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,960 | $32,220 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8,090 | $35,080 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,010 | $38,430 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 5,810 | $29,880 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 5,640 | $32,950 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 5,620 | $29,640 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $16.73 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $35,840 | $17.23 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | $21.19 |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $16.51 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $62,470 | $30.03 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | $17.25 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-9031. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in the U.S.?
The median salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the U.S. is $31,200 a year, or $15.00 an hour. Pay ranges from $22,340 for the lowest-paid 10% to $43,990 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the U.S. earn at least $43,990 a year. The top 25% earn $36,250 or more.
What is the starting pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $22,340 a year, and a quarter of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn $27,570 or less.
How many hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop work in the U.S.?
About 432,690 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.