SOC 35-3031 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · May 2025

How much do Waiters and Waitresses make in Charleston, WV?

In the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates, released May 15, 2026, the median annual wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Charleston, WV is $36,900. The 10th percentile is $20,270 and the 90th percentile is $58,540. Employment is 1,190.

Median annual wage

$36,900

10th percentile
$20,270
25th percentile
$27,170
Median
$36,900
75th percentile
$48,160
90th percentile
$58,540
Mean
$38,270

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

A public high school teacher standing in a classroom in the United States
A public high school classroom in the United States. Photograph by Harrison Keely. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Percentile spread

For Waiters and Waitresses, the published 10th percentile is $20,270 and the 90th percentile is $58,540. The difference is $38,270, which is 103.7% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $27,170 to the 75th at $48,160, covers $20,990.

The mean annual wage is $38,270, which sits above the median of $36,900. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Charleston, WV median is 4.7% higher than the national median of $35,230 for Waiters and Waitresses. In 2024 national prices the local median is $41,593, which is 18.1% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 4.3% higher than the West Virginia median of $35,380.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Charleston, WV is 88.717, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $36,900 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Waiters and Waitresses at $41,593 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

30 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Waiters and Waitresses. Charleston, WV ranks 8th of 31 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

  • Beckley, WV is 32 miles away, with a median of $33,650 and employment of 650. That median is 8.8% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $38,079, against $41,593 here.
  • Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH is 59 miles away, with a median of $30,690 and employment of 1,720. That median is 16.8% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $34,709, against $41,593 here.
  • Parkersburg-Vienna, WV is 59 miles away, with a median of $35,290 and employment of 610. That median is 4.4% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $40,532, against $41,593 here.

Employment share

Waiters and Waitresses accounts for 1.2% of wage-and-salary employment in Charleston, WV (1,190 of 103,450). Nationally the occupation is 1.5% of employment (2,270,910 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.79 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.

Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, WV · Waiters and Waitresses by metro · How to read these percentiles · Median and mean · When a wage is not published · How the figures are made · Compare this wage after prices

Questions this page answers

How much do Waiters and Waitresses make in Charleston, WV?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, released May 15, 2026, the median annual wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Charleston, WV is $36,900. The 10th percentile is $20,270 and the 90th percentile is $58,540. Employment is 1,190.

How does that compare with the national median for Waiters and Waitresses?

The local median is 4.7% higher than the national median of $35,230.

What is Waiters and Waitresses pay in Charleston, WV after local prices?

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Charleston, WV is 88.717, with the United States at 100. In those national prices, the May 2025 median of $36,900 is $41,593. The wage is May 2025 and the parity is 2024.

How does Charleston, WV compare with nearby metros for Waiters and Waitresses?

Beckley, WV is the closest metropolitan area within 200 miles with a published annual median, 32 miles away, at $33,650. Charleston, WV ranks 8th of 31 metros within 200 miles on that median. Distances use Census Bureau internal points.