SOC 35-9031 · Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Memphis, TN

The average salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Memphis, Tennessee is $26,960 a year ($12.96 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,610: half of the 1,670 people in this job in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 18% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,690).

$26,960average per year

$12.96 / hourMedian $27,610Take-home ≈ $23,812

  • $20K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $34K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,670people in this job
-18%vs U.S. average
#5 of 10Tennessee metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay range in Memphis

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $33,940 or more. The middle half of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Memphis earn between $22,530 and $29,590.

  • $20K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $34K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,960$2,247$12.96
Median$27,610$2,301$13.27
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,530$1,878$10.83
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,590$2,466$14.23

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in Memphis vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Memphis earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($27,690) and 18% less than the U.S. average ($32,690). At the median the gap is -12% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Memphis$26,960$27,610$20,180$33,9401,670
Tennessee$27,690$27,490$20,180$35,77011,280
United States$32,690$31,200$22,340$43,990432,690

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary after taxes in Memphis

On the average salary of $26,960, a single filer in Memphis takes home about $23,812 a year, or $1,984 a month and $916 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$23,812$1,984
Working in MS$23,465$1,955
Working in AR$23,296$1,941

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Memphis a good place for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Memphis area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.2), so the average $26,960 buys what about $29,247 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Memphis ($46,890). A typical home costs $247,229, or 9.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,960 is worth in another city

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in other Tennessee cities

Memphis ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($29,700).

All Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($47,650).

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

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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in Memphis: questions

How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make an hour in Memphis?

$12.96 an hour on average, and $13.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in Memphis?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop take-home pay in Memphis?

About $23,812 a year ($1,984 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,960. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn more in Memphis than elsewhere?

The average here is 18% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,690).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-9031; area Memphis, TN-MS-AR (32820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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