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Waiter / Waitress Average Salary in Canada 2024

How much money does a person working as Waiter / Waitress make in Canada?


Average Yearly Salary
37,600 CAD
( 3,140 CAD monthly)

LOW
18,400
CAD
AVERAGE
37,600
CAD
HIGH
58,700
CAD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Waiter / Waitress in Canada typically earns around 37,600 CAD. Salaries range from 18,400 CAD (lowest) to 58,700 CAD (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Waiter / Waitress salaries in Canada vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.



Waiter / Waitress Pay Scale and Salaries in Canada

Median and salary distribution Canada Waiter / Waitress yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
34,900 CAD or more
10% of people earn
30,800 to 34,900 CAD
20% of people earn
21,900 CAD or less
65% of people earn
21,900 to 30,800 CAD
Minimum Salary
18,400 CAD
Median
35,100 CAD
Maximum
58,700 CAD




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Waiter / Waitress in Canada range from 18,400 CAD (starting salary) to 58,700 CAD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 35,100 CAD, half of the professionals who work as Waiter / Waitress in Canada earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Waiter / Waitress in Canada earn less than 28,700 CAD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 40,200 CAD while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Canada compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 21,900 CAD to 30,800 CAD. About 20% of salaries are below the 21,900 CAD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 30,800 CAD to 34,900 CAD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 34,900 CAD.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Waiter / Waitress / Canada

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
21,900 CAD
2 - 5 Years+29%
28,100 CAD
5 - 10 Years+38%
38,800 CAD
10 - 15 Years+24%
48,000 CAD
15 - 20 Years+7%
51,500 CAD
20+ Years+7%
54,900 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience yearly Canada Waiter / Waitress
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Waiter / Waitress and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 21,900 CAD.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 28,100 CAD, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 38,800 CAD, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 48,000 CAD, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 51,500 CAD, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 54,900 CAD, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Waiter / Waitress / Canada

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Waiter / Waitress.

High School
28,100 CAD
Certificate or Diploma+43%
40,200 CAD
Bachelor's Degree+38%
55,500 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level yearly Canada Waiter / Waitress
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Waiter / Waitress in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 28,100 CAD.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 40,200 CAD, 43% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 55,500 CAD, 38% more than the previous level.



Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Waiter / Waitress / Canada

Salary comparison by gender Canada Waiter / Waitress yearly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Waiter / Waitress in Canada, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 4%.

Male
36,700 CAD
Female+5%
38,500 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Canada for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly Canada
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Waiter / Waitress / Canada

How much are annual salary increments in Canada for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Canada Waiter / Waitress
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

Canada / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Canada
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Canada is 7%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.



Bonus and Incentive Rates / Waiter / Waitress / Canada

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Canada Waiter / Waitress
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68% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 32% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
32%
No Bonus
68%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Average Hourly Wage / Waiter / Waitress / Canada


18 CAD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Canada is 18 CAD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Waiter / Waitress in Canada is 9 CAD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering-100%
Airbnb Property Manager128,000 CAD+240%
All Rounder47,300 CAD+26%
Assistant Executive Housekeeper35,500 CAD-6%
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller66,700 CAD+77%
Assistant Food and Beverage Director162,000 CAD+330%
Assistant Hospitality Manager164,000 CAD+340%
Assistant Storekeeper32,800 CAD-13%
Assistant Tour Manager80,200 CAD+110%
Baker and Pastrycook39,400 CAD+5%
Bakery Manager89,600 CAD+140%
Bakery Superintendent58,800 CAD+56%
Banquet Captain47,900 CAD+27%
Banquet Manager64,800 CAD+72%
Banquet Server37,300 CAD-1%
Bar Attendant38,300 CAD+2%
Bar Manager79,900 CAD+110%
Bar Supervisor57,100 CAD+52%
Barista45,900 CAD+22%
Bartender47,000 CAD+25%
Bellman37,800 CAD+0%
Beverage Manager99,400 CAD+160%
Bistro Attendant42,400 CAD+13%
Buffet Chef72,600 CAD+93%
Buffet Host37,900 CAD+1%
Buffet Manager88,000 CAD+130%
Butcher and Slaughterer31,000 CAD-18%
Cafeteria Assistant41,100 CAD+9%
Cafeteria Manager73,400 CAD+95%
Cafeteria Supervisor51,700 CAD+37%
Cake Decorator42,800 CAD+14%
Casino Shift Manager139,000 CAD+270%
Chain Store Customer Support64,600 CAD+72%
Chef72,500 CAD+93%
Chef De Cuisine99,600 CAD+160%
Club Manager145,000 CAD+290%
Cluster Director186,000 CAD+390%
Cluster Revenue Manager137,000 CAD+260%
Cocktail Server40,200 CAD+7%
Coffee Shop Manager136,000 CAD+260%
Concierge38,200 CAD+1%
Confectionery Baker45,500 CAD+21%
Conference and Sales Coordinator67,400 CAD+79%
Conference Services Manager82,800 CAD+120%
Cook62,200 CAD+65%
Corporate Sous Chef108,000 CAD+190%
Corporate Travel Consultant107,000 CAD+180%
Croupier52,000 CAD+38%
Culinary Assistant32,600 CAD-13%
Culinary Associate33,900 CAD-10%
Culinary Tour Guide97,200 CAD+160%
Demi Chef74,200 CAD+97%
Dietary Aide76,500 CAD+100%
Dining Room Supervisor66,600 CAD+77%
Dishwasher31,000 CAD-18%
Duty Manager85,700 CAD+130%
Events Coordinator56,000 CAD+49%
Executive Chef90,400 CAD+140%
Executive Pastry Chef68,400 CAD+82%
Fast Food Cook61,100 CAD+62%
Fast Food Shift Supervisor63,100 CAD+68%
Fine Dining Cook112,000 CAD+200%
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef106,000 CAD+180%
Fleet Manager194,000 CAD+420%
Food and Beverage Manager139,000 CAD+270%
Food and Beverage Trend Analyst96,800 CAD+160%
Food Consultant119,000 CAD+220%
Food Photographer75,600 CAD+100%
Food Policy Analyst105,000 CAD+180%
Food Safety Auditor102,000 CAD+170%
Food Safety Compliance Manager111,000 CAD+190%
Food Safety Coordinator82,200 CAD+120%
Food Server37,300 CAD-1%
Food Service Director146,000 CAD+290%
Food Service Manager148,000 CAD+290%
Food Service Sales88,500 CAD+140%
Food Service Worker37,600 CAD-0%
Food Stylist64,500 CAD+71%
Food Sustainability Consultant107,000 CAD+180%
Front Desk Agent47,100 CAD+25%
Front Desk Clerk42,200 CAD+12%
Front Office Manager81,200 CAD+120%
Gastronomy Consultant87,100 CAD+130%
Guest Service Executive124,000 CAD+230%
Guest Service Representative50,500 CAD+34%
Head Chef 89,800 CAD+140%
Head Concierge56,500 CAD+50%
Hospitality Director235,000 CAD+520%
Hospitality Technology Specialist94,200 CAD+150%
Hostess / Host44,200 CAD+17%
Hotel Desk Clerk46,200 CAD+23%
Hotel Maid32,400 CAD-14%
Hotel Manager225,000 CAD+500%
Hotel Revenue Manager138,000 CAD+270%
Hotel Sales Manager160,000 CAD+330%
Hotel Service Supervisor119,000 CAD+220%
Hotel Staff39,900 CAD+6%
Inventory Coordinator46,700 CAD+24%
Kitchen Manager75,000 CAD+99%
Kitchen Staff38,600 CAD+3%
Kitchen Supervisor63,200 CAD+68%
Line Cook69,100 CAD+84%
Luggage Porter30,100 CAD-20%
Molecular Gastronomist105,000 CAD+180%
Motel Manager121,000 CAD+220%
Pastry Chef65,000 CAD+73%
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant42,600 CAD+13%
Personal Chef89,500 CAD+140%
Production Operator62,400 CAD+66%
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator66,800 CAD+77%
Receptionist46,100 CAD+22%
Regional Restaurant Manager166,000 CAD+340%
Restaurant Manager147,000 CAD+290%
Restaurant Server37,600 CAD-0%
Room Reservations Manager150,000 CAD+300%
Room Service Manager134,000 CAD+260%
Sous Chef81,500 CAD+120%
Special Events Coordinator89,600 CAD+140%
Supervisor of Food Services103,000 CAD+170%
Sustainable Catering Coordinator91,500 CAD+140%
Sustainable Tourism Consultant102,000 CAD+170%
Tour Consultant111,000 CAD+190%
Tour Guide72,100 CAD+92%
Tour Manager96,200 CAD+160%
Travel Agent72,400 CAD+92%
Travel Consultant109,000 CAD+190%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Tourism Specialist92,700 CAD+150%
Waiter / Waitress37,600 CAD-0%
Wedding Planner117,000 CAD+210%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Montreal42,900 CAD
Toronto43,100 CAD

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Alberta42,000 CAD
British Columbia42,000 CAD
Manitoba39,100 CAD
New Brunswick34,000 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador33,800 CAD
Northwest Territories38,200 CAD
Nova Scotia36,500 CAD
Nunavut41,000 CAD
Ontario44,900 CAD
Prince Edward Island31,900 CAD
Quebec41,300 CAD
Saskatchewan36,700 CAD
Yukon34,300 CAD

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Canada is 4% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
117,000 CAD
Public Sector+4%
122,000 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Canada?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 35,100 CAD and 40,200 CAD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Waiter / Waitress in Canada ranges from 18,400 CAD to 28,700 CAD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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