Waiters and Waitresses Salary in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
Waiters and waitresses in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area earned a median of $29,160 a year ($14.02 an hour) and a mean of $34,630 in May 2025. The median is 17.2% below the U.S. median ($35,230), ranking 298th of 527 areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $29,160
- Median hourly
- $14.02
- Mean annual
- $34,630
- Jobs on record
- 5,180
Grey needle: U.S. median, $35,230 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area compare on pay for waiters and waitresses?
The Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ranks 298th of the 527 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas with a published median.
| Area | Rank | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah, KY-IL | 296 | $29,280 | 1,010 |
| Columbia, MO | 297 | $29,250 | 2,120 |
| Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 298 | $29,160 | 620 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 298 | $29,160 | 5,180 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 300 | $29,140 | 1,950 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 527 areas with a published figure.
How does pay here compare with North Carolina and the U.S.?
The $29,160 median is 9.3% below the North Carolina median ($32,150), and 17.2% below the U.S. median ($35,230).
| Area | Median | 10th percentile | 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $29,160 | $16,650 | $57,870 | 5,180 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 | $17,140 | $62,670 | 71,940 |
| United States | $35,230 | $18,100 | $64,720 | 2,270,910 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS state and national files, May 2025.
How does this job compare with all jobs in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area?
Waiters and waitresses hold 2.05% of the jobs in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, against 1.46% of jobs across the U.S., a location quotient of 1.40.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS metropolitan totals and national file, May 2025.
How many waiters and waitresses work in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area?
BLS counts 5,180 jobs in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, 0.23% of the 2,270,910 in the U.S. That is 20.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a location quotient of 1.40: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.40 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025 and national file.
Related jobs in the Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025.