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.
7 metro areas in Massachusetts publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 67,550 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Boston-Cambridge-Newton (41,570 jobs), Providence-Warwick (13,600 jobs), Worcester (4,610 jobs), which hold 88.5% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $35,750 to $39,270 a year, against $38,460 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 Massachusetts: the highest median pay is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area ($39,270 a year); the most jobs are in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area (41,570). Statewide the median is $38,460 with 54,670 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 41,570 | $39,270 | $31,930 | $64,150 | 1.05 | 62% | 108.3 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 2,970 | $38,380 | $33,540 | $76,730 | 2.16 | 52% | 98.4 |
| Worcester, MA | 4,610 | $36,840 | $31,200 | $59,720 | 0.90 | 46% | 102.5 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 980 | $36,650 | $31,200 | $60,200 | 1.02 | 45% | 100.2 |
| Springfield, MA | 2,670 | $36,170 | $31,200 | $61,110 | 0.91 | 38% | 96.1 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 1,150 | $35,950 | $31,200 | $64,880 | 1.38 | 37% | 95.1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 13,600 | $35,750 | $31,200 | $62,680 | 1.30 | 44% | 101.8 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Massachusetts
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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with a median of $39,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with 41,570 jobs.