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.
8 metro areas in Oregon publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 21,820 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (13,910 jobs), Eugene-Springfield (1,950 jobs), Salem (1,850 jobs), which hold 81.2% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $42,930 to $54,780 a year, against $48,410 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 Oregon: the highest median pay is in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area ($54,780 a year); the most jobs are in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area (13,910). Statewide the median is $48,410 with 23,040 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 13,910 | $54,780 | $33,980 | $81,630 | 0.79 | 38% | 105.4 |
| Bend, OR | 1,750 | $50,480 | $31,500 | $76,310 | 1.11 | 40% | 103.6 |
| Medford, OR | 1,130 | $50,440 | $30,640 | $72,790 | 0.87 | 32% | 101.4 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 330 | $48,950 | $30,910 | $76,070 | 0.74 | 29% | 97.8 |
| Salem, OR | 1,850 | $48,720 | $31,300 | $74,850 | 0.67 | 34% | 103.6 |
| Albany, OR | 380 | $47,440 | $30,470 | $74,280 | 0.56 | 33% | 102.1 |
| Corvallis, OR | 520 | $46,600 | $30,540 | $70,190 | 0.92 | 36% | 104.0 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 1,950 | $42,930 | $30,350 | $73,840 | 0.85 | 38% | 101.6 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Oregon
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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area, with a median of $54,780 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area, with 13,910 jobs.