Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Arizona publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 54,060 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler (39,920 jobs), Tucson (7,300 jobs), Flagstaff (2,210 jobs), which hold 91.4% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $34,020 to $47,530 a year, against $43,950 for the whole state and $35,230 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,230 a year for waiters and waitresses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $18,100 and the highest-paid tenth over $64,720). Employment is projected to change by +2.0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 423,100 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Waiters and waitresses in Arizona: the highest median pay is in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area ($47,530 a year); the most jobs are in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (39,920). Statewide the median is $43,950 with 55,950 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 39,920 | $47,530 | $30,850 | $79,780 | 1.15 | 43% | 103.3 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 2,210 | $37,080 | $30,730 | $77,760 | 2.27 | 48% | 100.3 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 1,840 | $36,670 | $30,580 | $78,290 | 1.74 | 44% | 98.3 |
| Tucson, AZ | 7,300 | $36,490 | $30,580 | $73,520 | 1.28 | 40% | 96.9 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 1,190 | $36,370 | $30,580 | $74,250 | 1.45 | 36% | 94.1 |
| Yuma, AZ | 1,000 | $36,120 | $30,580 | $73,590 | 0.99 | 33% | 92.7 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 600 | $34,020 | $30,580 | $63,310 | 1.21 | 35% | 89.2 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Arizona
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area, with a median of $47,530 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area, with 39,920 jobs.