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.
9 metro areas in Iowa publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 24,490 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Omaha (7,620 jobs), Des Moines-West Des Moines (6,250 jobs), Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (2,680 jobs), which hold 67.6% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $20,060 to $34,290 a year, against $21,000 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 Iowa: the highest median pay is in the Omaha, NE-IA area ($34,290 a year); the most jobs are in the Omaha, NE-IA area (7,620). Statewide the median is $21,000 with 22,410 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | 7,620 | $34,290 | $28,080 | $59,870 | 1.05 | 42% | 91.9 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 2,680 | $31,200 | $15,080 | $47,190 | 1.02 | 36% | 89.1 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 1,030 | $26,430 | $15,080 | $49,790 | 0.94 | 45% | 86.5 |
| Ames, IA | 1,010 | $22,710 | $15,080 | $50,610 | 1.24 | 53% | 88.8 |
| Iowa City, IA | 1,890 | $22,030 | $15,080 | $48,620 | 1.38 | 60% | 91.5 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,920 | $21,670 | $15,080 | $48,720 | 0.94 | 51% | 89.0 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 1,280 | $21,490 | $15,080 | $48,840 | 1.04 | 55% | 87.1 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 6,250 | $20,410 | $15,080 | $48,760 | 1.06 | 68% | 91.7 |
| Dubuque, IA | 810 | $20,060 | $15,080 | $47,300 | 0.95 | 57% | 87.3 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Iowa
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 Omaha, NE-IA area, with a median of $34,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Omaha, NE-IA area, with 7,620 jobs.