Average Waiters And Waitresses Salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Waiters And Waitresses in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA earn a median annual salary of $28,840, which is -14.6% compared to the national median. There are 5,840 workers employed locally in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (metro area).
Pay distribution
Local wage range
- 10th
- $15,080
- 25th
- $18,590
- Median
- $28,840
- 75th
- $44,650
- 90th
- $50,540
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This local range is the useful part of the page. The median tells you the center of the market in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, while the percentile band shows how compressed or wide the local pay distribution actually is.
Regional price parity
Cost-of-living context
Services: 84.6%
Rents: 84.7%
Comparison links
Comparable metros for this occupation
| Metro | Median annual wage | Compare | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $71,920 | Compare | 2,460 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $66,350 | Compare | 1,510 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,760 | Compare | 25,860 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $48,110 | Compare | 6,100 |
| Syracuse, NY | $47,830 | Compare | 3,640 |
| Binghamton, NY | $47,650 | Compare | 1,430 |
The point of this table is not random nearby places. It is to show the other labor markets where this same occupation looks stronger or weaker on the same OEWS release.
Area context
Top occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | LQ |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $232,960 | 1.11 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $222,700 | 0.20 |
| Chief Executives | $213,620 | 1.95 |
| Dentists, General | $201,450 | 0.73 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $157,100 | 2.50 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $147,160 | 1.12 |
| Financial Managers | $143,600 | 1.90 |
| Commercial Pilots | $141,330 | 1.13 |
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA has salary data for 518 occupations. The highest-paid occupation in this area is Nurse Anesthetists.
Historical series
Trend for Waiters And Waitresses in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Historical trend data is not yet available for this occupation in this area.
Interpretation
Outlook and page notes
Nationally, Waiters And Waitresses are projected to change by -0.7% from 2024 to 2034, with 456,700 annual openings.
Use this page to answer three separate questions: what the occupation pays here, how large the local market is, and whether this market is unusually concentrated for the occupation.
For metro pages in particular, read long-term trend rows as directional until the area comparability layer is fully wired. OEWS area definitions can change over time, and that matters more at the metro level than at the state level.