For many people, waiting tables is a part-time gig. For others, it's a profession that can pay off in spades — if they happen to end up at the right place.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that waiters and waitresses in the top 10 percent can earn more than $18.49 an hour. That's more than double what waiters in the bottom 10 percent make ($8.22).
Using data from the BLS, the following is a look at the metro areas where waiters had the lowest average salary in 2015. Waiters in all these cities average below $20,000 a year. For reference, the national mean salary for waiters in 2015 was $23,020.
Although the ranking features some large cities, smaller metro areas are more prevalent throughout. That makes sense given that smaller towns typically contain fewer high-end restaurants or large resorts. Another important factor to consider is cost of living. It's much cheaper to live in Sioux City, Iowa — one of the lowest-paying places for waiters — than San Francisco, where waiter salaries are higher. The BLS figures are not adjusted for differences in the cost of living.
Note: Some metro areas like New York-Newark-Jersey City are located in multiple states, but CareerTrends listed each metro as part of the state where it is primarily based. Ties are broken by the total number of waiters in each metro area.