Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in California
$39,900avg. a year
$19.18 an hour · 41,100 employed
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in California earn an average of $39,900 a year. That is $7,210 (22%) more than the U.S. average of $32,690. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $44,080.
$36,640Median pay
$19.18Average hourly
+29%Avg. pay since 2020
#6Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
11,860 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$44,080
$21.19 an hour
24,090 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$42,510
$20.44 an hour
3490 jobs
Napa, CA
$42,060
$20.22 an hour
415,340 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$40,680
$19.56 an hour
5610 jobs
Salinas, CA
$39,940
$19.20 an hour
6650 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$39,560
$19.02 an hour
74,720 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$39,060
$18.78 an hour
8280 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$38,860
$18.69 an hour
92,300 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$38,580
$18.55 an hour
10280 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$38,120
$18.33 an hour
11570 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$38,110
$18.32 an hour
12930 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$38,090
$18.31 an hour
13700 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$38,090
$18.31 an hour
144,330 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$38,030
$18.28 an hour
15120 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$37,320
$17.94 an hour
16420 jobs
Modesto, CA
$36,930
$17.76 an hour
17480 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$36,920
$17.75 an hour
18100 jobs
El Centro, CA
$36,860
$17.72 an hour
19210 jobs
Visalia, CA
$36,740
$17.66 an hour
20490 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$36,730
$17.66 an hour
21790 jobs
Fresno, CA
$36,650
$17.62 an hour
22160 jobs
Redding, CA
$36,410
$17.51 an hour
23110 jobs
Merced, CA
$36,390
$17.49 an hour
24190 jobs
Chico, CA
$36,360
$17.48 an hour
2550 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$36,060
$17.34 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $28k$28k–$31k$31k–$35k$35k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $32,690 | $15.72 |
| California | $39,900 | $19.18 |
| Oregon | $42,600 | $20.48 |
| Arizona | $37,960 | $18.25 |
| Nevada | $35,010 | $16.83 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in California?
The average is $39,900 a year, and the median is $36,640. That is $7,210 (22%) more than the U.S. average of $32,690.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$19.18 an hour on average; the median is $17.62.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($44,080), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($42,510). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Hanford-Corcoran, CA ($36,060).
How does California rank?
California ranks #6 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-9031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.