Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Massachusetts: $36,500 Average

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Average base salary, Massachusetts

$36,500 / year

≈ $3,050 per month · $17.55 per hour

LocationOr metro area

BLS May 2025 state data for Massachusetts · median $36,000

25th percentile
$32,500Average
$36,50075th percentile
$38,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by state

Alabama$27,500

Alaska$35,000

Arizona$39,500

Arkansas$28,500

California$41,500

Colorado$40,500

Connecticut$37,500

Delaware$33,500

District of Columbia$43,000

Florida$34,500

Georgia$28,000

Hawaii$47,000

Idaho$27,500

Illinois$36,000

Indiana$28,500

Iowa$32,000

Kansas$29,500

Kentucky$28,000

Louisiana$24,000

Maine$40,500

Maryland$36,500

Massachusetts$36,500

Michigan$32,000

Minnesota$32,500

Mississippi$24,500

Missouri$33,500

Montana$30,500

Nebraska$32,500

Nevada$36,000

New Hampshire$34,000

New Jersey$37,000

New Mexico$31,500

New York$41,500

North Carolina$29,000

North Dakota$31,000

Ohio$30,500

Oklahoma$28,000

Oregon$44,000

Pennsylvania$31,000

Rhode Island$35,500

South Carolina$28,000

South Dakota$32,000

Tennessee$28,500

Texas$28,000

Utah$33,000

Vermont$37,000

Virginia$34,500

Washington$43,500

West Virginia$26,500

Wisconsin$29,500

Wyoming$26,500

About this role

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is a professional role within the function in the Food Preparation and Serving job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shops do

Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma

Provide guests with menus.
Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.

Top skills: Active Listening Speaking Service Orientation Social Perceptiveness Reading Comprehension Monitoring

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay by experience level

Entry level$23,000

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$28,500

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$32,500

Mid-career median pay

Senior$37,500

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$45,500

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

-1.5%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

107,700

projected openings per year

Declining

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by industry

Food Services and Drinking Places

390,670 workers

$33,500

Restaurants and Other Eating Places

376,960 workers

$33,500

Accommodation

19,720 workers

$39,000

Traveler Accommodation

19,660 workers

$39,000

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries

10,170 workers

$35,000

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)

7,510 workers

$33,500

Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

6,760 workers

$34,500

Special Food Services

6,200 workers

$38,500

Hospitals

2,540 workers

$42,500

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

2,540 workers

$42,500

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pays 16% below the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).

Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving

Cooks, Fast Food$33,500

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$35,500

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Cooks, Short Order$37,500

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$38,000

Cooks, Restaurant$40,000

Cooks, All Other$40,500

Waiters and Waitresses$41,500

Bartender$42,000

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$48,000

Careers related to Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

Waiters and Waitresses$41,500

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$35,500

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$37,500

Barista$33,500

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks$37,000

Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants$40,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop make?

The average base salary for a Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the United States is $34,000 per year, or about $16.35 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $28,500 and $37,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Food Preparation and Serving roles?

The Food Preparation and Serving job family averages $40,500 across 18 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

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