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Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Illinois

What Waiters and Waitresses earn in Illinois, labor market by labor market, and what is left after taxes and living costs in 17 counties.

Average in IL
$31,158
local median wages, weighted
Rank among states
27 of 41
published states
Workers in state
95,780
BLS employment estimate
Wage areas
2
17 counties

Pay by labor market in Illinois

Waiters and Waitresses pay by wage area in Illinois
Wage areaMedian wageTake-home payMargin per yearLargest county
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$31,200$25,794−$2,582Cook County, IL
St. Louis, MO-IL$31,200$25,794$5,530Madison County, IL

Counties ranked by what is left after the basics

Waiters and Waitresses in Illinois counties, by yearly margin
#CountyMedian wageTake-home payMargin per year
1Macoupin County, IL$31,200$25,794$9,802
2Bond County, IL$31,200$25,794$7,990
3Madison County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
4St. Clair County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
5Clinton County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
6Monroe County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
7Jersey County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
8Calhoun County, IL$31,200$25,794$5,530
9DeKalb County, IL$31,200$25,794$4,918
10Grundy County, IL$31,200$25,794$3,982
11Cook County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
12DuPage County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
13Lake County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
14Will County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
15Kane County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
16McHenry County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,582
17Kendall County, IL$31,200$25,794−$2,702

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Illinois

The employment-weighted average of local median wages for Waiters and Waitresses in Illinois is $31,158, based on 95,780 workers. Among the 41 states with published data, that ranks number 27. The BLS national median for the occupation is $35,230, so Illinois averages 11.6% below it.

Inside Illinois, pay depends on the labor market. The highest local median is $31,200 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and the lowest is $31,200 in St. Louis, MO-IL, a difference of $0 across 2 wage areas.

Cost of living for Waiters and Waitresses in Illinois

We compare 17 Illinois counties after federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxes and the four basics: a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline. Macoupin County, IL leaves the largest yearly margin, $9,802. In Kendall County, IL the basics cost $2,702 more than take-home pay. The median wage covers all four basics in 10 of the 17 counties.

Waiters and Waitresses in other states

The states with the highest average local median wages for Waiters and Waitresses are Washington ($54,839), Oregon ($50,502), New York ($47,178) and District of Columbia ($46,040).

Frequently asked questions: Waiters and Waitresses in Illinois

How much do Waiters and Waitresses earn in Illinois?

The employment-weighted average of local median wages is $31,158, from $31,200 to $31,200 depending on the labor market.

Which Illinois county is best for Waiters and Waitresses?

Macoupin County, IL leaves the largest yearly margin after taxes and the four basics ($9,802). Bond County, IL follows at $7,990.