Waiters and Waitresses Salary — Bowling Green, Kentucky

The average Waiters and Waitresses in Bowling Green, Kentucky earns $34,080 a year.

$34,080 / year, mean
↓ 16.1% below national average 33th percentile in Kentucky

Bowling Green pays below most of Kentucky for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's noticeably below the national average for waiters and waitresses, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Kentucky

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
1,250
Estimate confidence
RSE 4.2%
Cost of living 90 #161 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1461 #33 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $267,047 #125 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $62,437 #157 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Bowling Green ranks #161 for cost of living and #125 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Seattle $62,940 Bremerton $61,770 Olympia $59,860 Bellingham $59,820 Kennewick $58,600 Mount Vernon $58,410 Wenatchee $58,400 Walla Walla $58,210 Longview $57,990 Portland $56,130 Spokane $55,270 New York $55,000 Albany $54,580 Buffalo $54,310 Yakima $53,650 Bend $53,330 Syracuse $53,270 Kiryas Joel $53,260 San Jose $52,010 Ithaca $51,830 Grants Pass $51,770 Binghamton $51,750 Rochester $51,280 Kingston $51,190 Medford $50,910 Salem $50,860 Albany $49,980 Elmira $49,940 Glens Falls $49,910 Utica $49,090 Corvallis $49,030 Watertown $48,940 Charlottesville $48,060 San Diego $47,700 Eugene $47,580 Grand Rapids $47,040 Ann Arbor $46,830 San Francisco $46,460 Trenton $46,270 Harrisonburg $46,130 Salinas $45,820 Atlantic City $45,800 Riverside $45,660 Traverse City $45,550 San Luis Obispo $45,180 Lansing $45,170 Napa $45,100 Detroit $45,080 Jackson $45,050 Flint $45,030 Santa Cruz $45,020 Richmond $45,010 Sacramento $44,840 Vineland $44,840 Naples $44,610 Kalamazoo $44,590 Virginia Beach $44,510 Muskegon $44,470 Bay City $44,370 Tampa $44,090 Midland $44,040 Niles $43,960 Saginaw $43,890 Santa Rosa $43,890 Vallejo $43,840 Staunton $43,820 Crestview $43,640 Monroe $43,460 Baltimore $43,030 Battle Creek $43,020 Winchester $43,020 Wildwood $42,850 Blacksburg $42,810 Oxnard $42,730 Los Angeles $42,640 Santa Maria $42,600 Jacksonville $42,480 Fort Myers $42,470 Fresno $42,430 Punta Gorda $42,270 Sarasota $42,190 Lexington Park $42,150 Roanoke $42,030 Stockton $41,950 Salisbury $41,760 Lynchburg $41,620 Orlando $41,420 Dover $41,400 Philadelphia $41,390 Port St. Lucie $41,310 Palm Bay $41,250 Modesto $41,200 Bakersfield $41,180 Miami $41,120 Sebastian $40,880 Deltona $40,780 Hagerstown $40,750 Panama City $40,650 Redding $40,620 Ocala $40,170 Pensacola $40,150 Visalia $40,020 Lakeland $39,980 Gainesville $39,920 Sebring $39,740 Homosassa Springs $39,680 Weirton $39,640 Pittsburgh $39,630 Chico $39,330 El Centro $39,160 Hanford $38,950 Tallahassee $38,900 Yuba City $38,870 Merced $38,610 Allentown $38,400 Parkersburg $38,360 Charleston $38,270 Morgantown $38,170 Harrisburg $37,830 Lexington $37,250 Beckley $37,200 State College $37,170 Lancaster $37,080 Wheeling $37,040 York $37,000 Louisville $36,360 Owensboro $36,260 Lebanon $36,240 Huntington $36,170 Reading $36,110 Elizabethtown $35,920 Chicago $35,650 Gettysburg $35,360 Bloomington $35,320 Decatur $35,310 Rockford $35,200 Scranton $35,160 Kankakee $34,960 Champaign $34,920 Springfield $34,920 Chambersburg $34,900 Peoria $34,900 Williamsport $34,660 Bowling Green $34,080 Erie $33,540 Paducah $33,040 Austin $32,970 Johnstown $32,660 Altoona $32,490 Indianapolis $32,300 South Bend $31,830 San Antonio $31,400 Lafayette $31,040 Fort Wayne $30,730 Evansville $30,650 Bloomington $30,630 Dallas $30,530 Michigan City $30,490 Kokomo $30,420 Midland $30,360 Elkhart $30,140 Columbus $30,060 Odessa $29,790 Waco $29,240 Houston $29,180 Sherman $28,980 Corpus Christi $28,720 College Station $28,600 Killeen $28,370 Abilene $28,340 Terre Haute $28,150 Muncie $28,030 Amarillo $28,000 Beaumont $27,860 Lubbock $27,820 Victoria $27,770 Longview $27,720 Laredo $27,540 Tyler $27,500 Wichita Falls $27,460 Texarkana $26,990 El Paso $26,570 Brownsville $26,330 San Angelo $26,160 McAllen $25,330
CityMean salaryvs. Bowling Green
Abilene, Texas$28,340-16.8%
Albany, Oregon$49,980+46.7%
Albany, New York$54,580+60.2%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$38,400+12.7%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$32,490-4.7%
Amarillo, Texas$28,000-17.8%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$46,830+37.4%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$45,800+34.4%
Austin, Texas$32,970-3.3%
Bakersfield, California$41,180+20.8%
Baltimore, Maryland$43,030+26.3%
Battle Creek, Michigan$43,020+26.2%
Bay City, Michigan$44,370+30.2%
Beaumont, Texas$27,860-18.3%
Beckley, West Virginia$37,200+9.2%
Bellingham, Washington$59,820+75.5%
Bend, Oregon$53,330+56.5%
Binghamton, New York$51,750+51.8%
Blacksburg, Virginia$42,810+25.6%
Bloomington, Illinois$35,320+3.6%
Bloomington, Indiana$30,630-10.1%
Bremerton, Washington$61,770+81.2%
Brownsville, Texas$26,330-22.7%
Buffalo, New York$54,310+59.4%
Fort Myers, Florida$42,470+24.6%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$34,900+2.4%
Champaign, Illinois$34,920+2.5%
Charleston, West Virginia$38,270+12.3%
Charlottesville, Virginia$48,060+41.0%
Chicago, Illinois$35,650+4.6%
Chico, California$39,330+15.4%
College Station, Texas$28,600-16.1%
Columbus, Indiana$30,060-11.8%
Corpus Christi, Texas$28,720-15.7%
Corvallis, Oregon$49,030+43.9%
Crestview, Florida$43,640+28.1%
Dallas, Texas$30,530-10.4%
Decatur, Illinois$35,310+3.6%
Deltona, Florida$40,780+19.7%
Detroit, Michigan$45,080+32.3%
Dover, Delaware$41,400+21.5%
El Centro, California$39,160+14.9%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$35,920+5.4%
Elkhart, Indiana$30,140-11.6%
Elmira, New York$49,940+46.5%
El Paso, Texas$26,570-22.0%
Erie, Pennsylvania$33,540-1.6%
Eugene, Oregon$47,580+39.6%
Evansville, Indiana$30,650-10.1%
Flint, Michigan$45,030+32.1%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$30,730-9.8%
Fresno, California$42,430+24.5%
Gainesville, Florida$39,920+17.1%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$35,360+3.8%
Glens Falls, New York$49,910+46.4%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$47,040+38.0%
Grants Pass, Oregon$51,770+51.9%
Hagerstown, Maryland$40,750+19.6%
Hanford, California$38,950+14.3%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$37,830+11.0%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$46,130+35.4%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$39,680+16.4%
Houston, Texas$29,180-14.4%
Huntington, West Virginia$36,170+6.1%
Indianapolis, Indiana$32,300-5.2%
Ithaca, New York$51,830+52.1%
Jackson, Michigan$45,050+32.2%
Jacksonville, Florida$42,480+24.6%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$32,660-4.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$44,590+30.8%
Kankakee, Illinois$34,960+2.6%
Kennewick, Washington$58,600+71.9%
Killeen, Texas$28,370-16.8%
Kingston, New York$51,190+50.2%
Kiryas Joel, New York$53,260+56.3%
Kokomo, Indiana$30,420-10.7%
Lafayette, Indiana$31,040-8.9%
Lakeland, Florida$39,980+17.3%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$37,080+8.8%
Lansing, Michigan$45,170+32.5%
Laredo, Texas$27,540-19.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$36,240+6.3%
Lexington, Kentucky$37,250+9.3%
Lexington Park, Maryland$42,150+23.7%
Longview, Texas$27,720-18.7%
Longview, Washington$57,990+70.2%
Los Angeles, California$42,640+25.1%
Louisville, Kentucky$36,360+6.7%
Lubbock, Texas$27,820-18.4%
Lynchburg, Virginia$41,620+22.1%
McAllen, Texas$25,330-25.7%
Medford, Oregon$50,910+49.4%
Merced, California$38,610+13.3%
Miami, Florida$41,120+20.7%
Michigan City, Indiana$30,490-10.5%
Midland, Michigan$44,040+29.2%
Midland, Texas$30,360-10.9%
Modesto, California$41,200+20.9%
Monroe, Michigan$43,460+27.5%
Morgantown, West Virginia$38,170+12.0%
Mount Vernon, Washington$58,410+71.4%
Muncie, Indiana$28,030-17.8%
Muskegon, Michigan$44,470+30.5%
Napa, California$45,100+32.3%
Naples, Florida$44,610+30.9%
New York, New York$55,000+61.4%
Niles, Michigan$43,960+29.0%
Sarasota, Florida$42,190+23.8%
Ocala, Florida$40,170+17.9%
Odessa, Texas$29,790-12.6%
Olympia, Washington$59,860+75.6%
Orlando, Florida$41,420+21.5%
Owensboro, Kentucky$36,260+6.4%
Oxnard, California$42,730+25.4%
Paducah, Kentucky$33,040-3.1%
Palm Bay, Florida$41,250+21.0%
Panama City, Florida$40,650+19.3%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$38,360+12.6%
Pensacola, Florida$40,150+17.8%
Peoria, Illinois$34,900+2.4%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$41,390+21.4%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$39,630+16.3%
Portland, Oregon$56,130+64.7%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$41,310+21.2%
Punta Gorda, Florida$42,270+24.0%
Reading, Pennsylvania$36,110+6.0%
Redding, California$40,620+19.2%
Richmond, Virginia$45,010+32.1%
Riverside, California$45,660+34.0%
Roanoke, Virginia$42,030+23.3%
Rochester, New York$51,280+50.5%
Rockford, Illinois$35,200+3.3%
Sacramento, California$44,840+31.6%
Saginaw, Michigan$43,890+28.8%
Salem, Oregon$50,860+49.2%
Salinas, California$45,820+34.4%
Salisbury, Maryland$41,760+22.5%
San Angelo, Texas$26,160-23.2%
San Antonio, Texas$31,400-7.9%
San Diego, California$47,700+40.0%
San Francisco, California$46,460+36.3%
San Jose, California$52,010+52.6%
San Luis Obispo, California$45,180+32.6%
Santa Cruz, California$45,020+32.1%
Santa Maria, California$42,600+25.0%
Santa Rosa, California$43,890+28.8%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$35,160+3.2%
Seattle, Washington$62,940+84.7%
Sebastian, Florida$40,880+20.0%
Sebring, Florida$39,740+16.6%
Sherman, Texas$28,980-15.0%
South Bend, Indiana$31,830-6.6%
Spokane, Washington$55,270+62.2%
Springfield, Illinois$34,920+2.5%
State College, Pennsylvania$37,170+9.1%
Staunton, Virginia$43,820+28.6%
Stockton, California$41,950+23.1%
Syracuse, New York$53,270+56.3%
Tallahassee, Florida$38,900+14.1%
Tampa, Florida$44,090+29.4%
Terre Haute, Indiana$28,150-17.4%
Texarkana, Texas$26,990-20.8%
Traverse City, Michigan$45,550+33.7%
Trenton, New Jersey$46,270+35.8%
Tyler, Texas$27,500-19.3%
Utica, New York$49,090+44.0%
Vallejo, California$43,840+28.6%
Victoria, Texas$27,770-18.5%
Vineland, New Jersey$44,840+31.6%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$44,510+30.6%
Visalia, California$40,020+17.4%
Waco, Texas$29,240-14.2%
Walla Walla, Washington$58,210+70.8%
Watertown, New York$48,940+43.6%
Weirton, West Virginia$39,640+16.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$58,400+71.4%
Wheeling, West Virginia$37,040+8.7%
Wichita Falls, Texas$27,460-19.4%
Wildwood, Florida$42,850+25.7%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$34,660+1.7%
Winchester, Virginia$43,020+26.2%
Yakima, Washington$53,650+57.4%
York, Pennsylvania$37,000+8.6%
Yuba City, California$38,870+14.1%
Gross salary
34,080/yr
Estimated take-home
27,806/yr
Est. total withheld
18.4%

Single filer, federal + Kentucky state tax + FICA, 2026 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Kentucky → All Waiters and Waitresses salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-3031 SOC code
Official area Bowling Green, KY BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 14540 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ky_dor_verificado 2026
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Kentucky

Population (metro area)
183,194