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.
6 metro areas in Maryland publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 110,680 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (46,160 jobs), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (41,900 jobs), Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (19,590 jobs), which hold 97.3% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $34,470 to $46,040 a year, against $36,750 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 Maryland: the highest median pay is in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area ($46,040 a year); the most jobs are in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (46,160). Statewide the median is $36,750 with 38,120 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 46,160 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | 1.01 | 53% | 108.9 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 41,900 | $36,570 | $21,900 | $65,340 | 0.99 | 49% | 102.6 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 19,590 | $36,170 | $31,200 | $60,650 | 0.99 | 53% | 104.5 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 1,020 | $35,550 | $31,200 | $60,620 | 0.99 | n/a | n/a |
| Salisbury, MD | 690 | $35,080 | $31,200 | $61,090 | 0.88 | 44% | 95.6 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 1,320 | $34,470 | $26,050 | $62,730 | 0.84 | 40% | 94.2 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Maryland
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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area, with a median of $46,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area, with 46,160 jobs.