SOC 35-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Waiters and Waitresses — Naples
Naples-Marco Island, FL · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Naples, FL is $37,550 per year, close to the national median of $35,230 for the same 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 Naples-Marco Island, FL.
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
The median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Naples, FL is $37,550 per year, close to the national median of $35,230 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $29,180 at the tenth percentile to more than $70,460 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $30,350 to $50,200.
Employment stands at 6,610, or 38.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Crestview leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $37,370. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 305th of 344 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,180 | −17.2% |
| 25th | $30,350 | −13.9% |
| Median (50th) | $37,550 | +6.6% |
| 75th | $50,200 | +42.5% |
| 90th | $70,460 | +100.0% |
| Mean | $44,610 | +26.6% |
Other metro areas in Florida
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crestview | $37,370 | 4,430 | |
| 2 | Tampa | $37,070 | 25,280 | |
| 3 | Palm Bay | $36,670 | 5,080 | |
| 4 | Cape Coral | $36,660 | 7,980 | |
| 5 | North Port | $36,660 | 9,200 | |
| 6 | Jacksonville | $36,630 | 13,140 | |
| 7 | Punta Gorda | $36,360 | 1,780 | |
| 8 | Wildwood | $36,340 | 1,170 | |
| 9 | Port St. Lucie | $36,250 | 4,050 | |
| 10 | Miami | $36,070 | 57,830 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Naples run 3.2% above the national average, so the median of $37,550 buys what $36,386 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 3.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$37,550as reported by BLSLocal price level
103.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$36,386US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $37,550 a year, 6.6% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $29,180 to $70,460 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 6,610 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Crestview, at $37,370.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Naples, FL?
The median annual wage is $37,550, or $18.05 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 Naples, FL is 6.6% higher. 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 Naples, FL earns more than $70,460 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $29,180 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 Crestview, at $37,370 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 6,610 jobs in this occupation in Naples, FL. 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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