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 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
5 metro areas in Connecticut publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 21,320 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (7,200 jobs), Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury (6,270 jobs), New Haven (3,290 jobs), which hold 78.6% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $36,890 to $38,820 a year, against $37,770 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 Connecticut: the highest median pay is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area ($38,820 a year); the most jobs are in the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area (7,200). Statewide the median is $37,770 with 22,370 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 6,270 | $38,820 | $34,360 | $64,370 | 1.06 | 58% | 106.9 |
| New Haven, CT | 3,290 | $37,900 | $34,010 | $63,420 | 0.80 | 48% | 104.6 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 2,620 | $37,880 | $34,010 | $83,070 | 1.42 | n/a | n/a |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 7,200 | $37,200 | $34,010 | $73,390 | 0.82 | 46% | 102.7 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 1,940 | $36,890 | $34,010 | $60,510 | 0.83 | n/a | n/a |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Connecticut
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 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area, with a median of $38,820 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area, with 7,200 jobs.