SOC 35-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Waiters and Waitresses — Kentucky
Kentucky · 6 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Kentucky is $29,660 a year, trailing the national median of $35,230 by 15.8%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -0.7%
- Openings per year
- 456,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kentucky.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Kentucky is $29,660 a year, trailing the national median of $35,230 by 15.8%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $18,170 and $45,710. The lowest tenth earn under $16,520, while the highest tenth earn more than $62,030.
The area has 27,150 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.93 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Kentucky ranks number 33rd out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Lexington records the highest median at $34,910. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 679th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $16,520 | −53.1% |
| 25th | $18,170 | −48.4% |
| Median (50th) | $29,660 | −15.8% |
| 75th | $45,710 | +29.7% |
| 90th | $62,030 | +76.1% |
| Mean | $35,410 | +0.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Kentucky
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington | $34,910 | 5,020 | |
| 2 | Elizabethtown | $30,270 | 760 | |
| 3 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $30,180 | 10,220 | |
| 4 | Owensboro | $29,790 | 780 | |
| 5 | Paducah | $29,280 | 1,010 | |
| 6 | Bowling Green | $28,810 | 1,250 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $29,660 goes as far as $32,882 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 6.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$29,660as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$32,882US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $29,660 a year, 15.8% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $16,520 to $62,030 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 27,150 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 33rd of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lexington, at $34,910.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $29,660, or $14.26 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $35,230, so pay in Kentucky is 15.8% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Kentucky earns more than $62,030 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $16,520 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Lexington, at $34,910 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 27,150 jobs in this occupation in Kentucky. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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