SOC 35-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Waiters and Waitresses — Lafayette
Lafayette, LA · 9 metro areas compared
Median pay in Lafayette, LA is $15,080 a year, 57.2% under the national median of $35,230 for this occupation.
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 Lafayette, LA.
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 in Lafayette, LA is $15,080 a year, 57.2% under the national median of $35,230 for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $15,080 and $22,240. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $15,080 and the ninetieth at $36,320.
The area has 3,410 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.30 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. New Orleans leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $16,640. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 350th of 350 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $15,080 | −57.2% |
| 25th | $15,080 | −57.2% |
| Median (50th) | $15,080 | −57.2% |
| 75th | $22,240 | −36.9% |
| 90th | $36,320 | +3.1% |
| Mean | $21,440 | −39.1% |
Other metro areas in Louisiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | $16,640 | 10,050 | |
| 2 | Alexandria | $15,080 | 750 | |
| 3 | Baton Rouge | $15,080 | 6,650 | |
| 4 | Hammond | $15,080 | 1,050 | |
| 5 | Houma | $15,080 | 1,210 | |
| 6 | Lake Charles | $15,080 | 1,950 | |
| 7 | Monroe | $15,080 | 1,370 | |
| 8 | Shreveport | $15,080 | 2,620 | |
| 9 | Slidell | $15,080 | 2,520 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lafayette run 12.8% below the national average, so the median of $15,080 goes as far as $17,294 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 50.9% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$15,080as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$17,294US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $15,080 a year, 57.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $15,080 to $36,320 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,410 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is New Orleans, at $16,640.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Lafayette, LA?
The median annual wage is $15,080, or $7.25 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 Lafayette, LA is 57.2% 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 Lafayette, LA earns more than $36,320 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $15,080 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 New Orleans, at $16,640 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,410 jobs in this occupation in Lafayette, LA. 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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