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 Minnesota publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 37,840 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (25,620 jobs), Sioux Falls (2,550 jobs), Duluth (2,100 jobs), which hold 80.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $23,150 to $30,330 a year, against $25,470 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 Minnesota: the highest median pay is in the Fargo, ND-MN area ($30,330 a year); the most jobs are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area (25,620). Statewide the median is $25,470 with 37,630 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND-MN | 2,020 | $30,330 | $18,470 | $59,910 | 0.93 | 38% | 90.9 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 2,550 | $29,920 | $28,020 | $39,060 | 0.98 | 41% | 90.6 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 1,270 | $28,380 | $16,280 | $59,390 | 1.03 | 43% | 91.8 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 820 | $27,820 | $18,560 | $58,950 | 1.07 | 42% | 86.7 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 25,620 | $25,920 | $23,260 | $43,280 | 0.90 | 67% | 104.8 |
| Rochester, MN | 1,620 | $24,060 | $23,150 | $39,920 | 0.90 | 64% | 90.8 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 1,070 | $23,520 | $23,150 | $38,630 | 0.70 | 53% | 87.6 |
| Mankato, MN | 770 | $23,330 | $23,150 | $38,790 | 0.94 | 55% | 91.0 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 2,100 | $23,150 | $23,150 | $39,570 | 1.15 | 51% | 88.8 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Minnesota
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 Fargo, ND-MN area, with a median of $30,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area, with 25,620 jobs.