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.
6 metro areas in New Jersey publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 194,700 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are New York-Newark-Jersey City (138,720 jobs), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (41,900 jobs), Atlantic City-Hammonton (6,070 jobs), which hold 95.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $34,630 to $47,610 a year, against $44,960 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 New Jersey: the highest median pay is in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area ($47,610 a year); the most jobs are in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area (138,720). Statewide the median is $44,960 with 55,800 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 138,720 | $47,610 | $33,810 | $95,610 | 1.00 | 46% | 112.6 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 6,070 | $38,160 | $32,220 | $74,900 | 2.46 | 43% | 98.9 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 2,160 | $38,070 | $32,220 | $72,180 | 0.62 | 51% | 103.2 |
| Vineland, NJ | 540 | $36,800 | $32,220 | $64,250 | 0.59 | 42% | 96.0 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 41,900 | $36,570 | $21,900 | $65,340 | 0.99 | 49% | 102.6 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 5,310 | $34,630 | $18,100 | $63,720 | 0.96 | 47% | 100.0 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of New Jersey
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with a median of $47,610 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with 138,720 jobs.