Average Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop is $31,200 per year. The middle 50% earn between $27,570 and $36,250, with 432,690 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 381 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $22,340
- 25th
- $27,570
- Median
- $31,200
- 75th
- $36,250
- 90th
- $43,990
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This is a lower-wage occupation relative to the US labor market. Pay is below the national median for all workers.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -1.5%
- -6,400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 107,700
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Hawaii at $47,070, about 50.9% above the national median. At the metro level, Urban Honolulu, HI leads with a median of $47,110.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop rose from $23,090 to $31,200, a gain of +35.1% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $23,090 would need to be worth $29,077 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $31,200 is $2,123 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +7.3% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 7.3%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +35.1%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +7.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $31,200
- 2024
- $30,380
- 2023
- $29,220
- 2022
- $27,720
- 2021
- $24,600
- 2020
- $23,880
- 2019
- $23,090
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Dishwashers
- $34,810
- Fast Food And Counter Workers
- $31,200
- Cooks, Fast Food
- $30,890
- Bartenders
- $34,340
- Waiters And Waitresses
- $35,230
- Food Preparation Workers
- $35,320
Common salary questions for Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.